| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Eve and David by Honore de Balzac: sense to dissuade him from following his terrible vocation; for the
inventor like Moses on Mount Horeb, is consumed by the burning bush.
He cultivates literature by way of recreation, and leads a comfortable
life of leisure, befitting the landowner who lives on his own estate.
He has bidden farewell for ever to glory, and bravely taken his place
in the class of dreamers and collectors; for he dabbles in entomology,
and is at present investigating the transformations of insects which
science only knows in the final stage.
Everybody has heard of Petit-Claud's success as attorney-general; he
is the rival of the great Vinet of Provins, and it is his ambition to
be President of the Court-Royal of Poitiers.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard: upon his living face as the poor fellow was sucked down. Really
the sight unnerved me, weary and shaken as I felt with all that
we had gone through, and I was heartily glad when suddenly and
without any warning the body began to sink just as though it
had had a mission, which having been accomplished, it retired;
the real reason no doubt being that turning it on its back allowed
a free passage to the gas. Down it went to the transparent depths
-- fathom after fathom we could trace its course till at last
a long line of bright air-bubbles, swiftly chasing each other
to the surface, alone remained where it had passed. At length
these, too, were gone, and that was an end of our poor servant.
Allan Quatermain |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: known and shall not be forgotten."
But Cornplanter had not always been a friend to the palefaces. During
Dunmore's war and for years after, he was one of the most vindictive of the
savage leaders against the invading pioneers.
It was during this period of Cornplanter's activity against the whites that
Isaac Zane had the misfortune to fall into the great chief's power.
We remember Isaac last when, lost in the woods, weak from hunger and exposure,
he had crawled into a thicket and had gone to sleep. He was awakened by a dog
licking his face. He heard Indian voices. He got up and ran as fast as he
could, but exhausted as he was he proved no match for his pursuers. They came
up with him and seeing that he was unable to defend himself they grasped him
Betty Zane |
