| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Village Rector by Honore de Balzac: diametrically opposed to those of the Abbe Dutheil, liked to be in the
latter's company, although he never testified this liking enough to
put himself out of the good graces of the bishop, to whom he would
have sacrificed everything. The Abbe de Grancour believed in the merit
of his colleague, recognized his talents, secretly accepted his
doctrines, and condemned them openly; for the little priest was one of
those men whom superiority attracts and intimidates,--who dislike it
and yet cultivate it. "He would embrace me and condemn me," the Abbe
Dutheil said of him. The Abbe de Grancour had neither friends nor
enemies; he was therefore likely to live and die a vicar-general. He
said he was drawn to visit Madame Graslin by the desire of counselling
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Letters from England by Elizabeth Davis Bancroft: Mendelssohn's "Elijah" is to be performed, and Jenny Lind sings. We
had not been able to get tickets, which have been sold for five
guineas apiece the last few days. To my great joy Miss Coutts has
this moment written me that she has two for our use, and asks us to
take an early dinner at five with her and accompany her.
LETTER: To I.P.D.
LONDON, June 8, 1849
I thank you, my dear Uncle, for your pleasant letter, which
contained as usual much that was interesting to me. And so Mr. and
Mrs. Lawrence are to be our successors. . . . Happy as we have been
here, I have a great satisfaction that we are setting rather than
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft: became a serious wound; being obliged to work as usual, or starve.
But, finding myself at length unable to stand for any time,
I thought of getting into an hospital. Hospitals, it should seem
(for they are comfortless abodes for the sick) were expressly
endowed for the reception of the friendless; yet I, who had on that
plea a right to assistance, wanted the recommendation of the rich
and respectable, and was several weeks languishing for admittance;
fees were demanded on entering; and, what was still more unreasonable,
security for burying me, that expence not coming into the letter
of the charity. A guinea was the stipulated sum--I could as soon
have raised a million; and I was afraid to apply to the parish for
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