| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: election. I leave my pen to him, to tell you the romantic tale,
already, I believe, interrupted on several occasions. He will close
this letter.
XVIII
CHARLES DE SALLENAUVE TO THE COMTESSE DE L'ESTORADE
7 P.M.
Madame,--The rather abrupt manner in which I parted from you and
Monsieur de l'Estorade the evening of our visit to Armand's school,
has been explained to you by the preoccupations of all sorts to which
at that moment I was a victim. Marie-Gaston tells me that he has kept
you informed of the subsequent events.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Emma McChesney & Co. by Edna Ferber: Emma stood up then and put her hands on his shoulders. But she
was not looking at him. She was gazing past him, her eyes
dreamy, contemplative.
"I don't know whether I'll be able to explain to you just how I
feel about it. I'll probably make a mess of it. But I'll try.
You see, dear, it's just this way: Two years ago--a year ago,
even--I might have felt just that sensation of personal
resentment and loss. But somehow, lately, I've been looking at
life through--how shall I put it?--through seven-league glasses.
I used to see life in its relation to me and mine. Now I see it
in terms of my relation to it. Do you get me? I was the
Emma McChesney & Co. |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Professor by Charlotte Bronte: "Oh, certainly, not much; but you are a teacher, are you not, as
well as a pupil?"
"Yes."
"You teach lace-mending?"
"Yes."
"A dull, stupid occupation; do you like it?"
"No--it is tedious."
"Why do you pursue it? Why do you not rather teach history,
geography, grammar, even arithmetic?"
"Is monsieur certain that I am myself thoroughly acquainted with
these studies?"
The Professor |
