| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Drama on the Seashore by Honore de Balzac: honest man who'd have tramped fifty miles to return two sous that any
one had overpaid him on a bill. At last, one day the mother was robbed
of everything. During one of his father's fishing-trips Jacques
carried off all she had, furniture, pots and pans, sheets, linen,
everything; he sold it to go to Nantes and carry on his capers there.
The poor mother wept day and night. This time it couldn't be hidden
from the father, and she feared him--not for herself, you may be sure
of that. When Pierre Cambremer came back and saw furniture in his
house which the neighbors had lent to his wife, he said,--
"'What is all this?'
"The poor woman, more dead than alive, replied:
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: for a love-affair. Remember, she is just twenty. Girls fall in love
with themselves at that age; they dress to see themselves well-
dressed. I remember I used to make my little sister, now dead, put on
a man's hat and pretend we were monsieur and madame. You see, you had
a very happy youth in Frankfort; but let us be just,--Modeste is
living here without the slightest amusement. Although, to be sure, her
every wish is attended to, still she knows she is shut up and watched,
and the life she leads would give her no pleasure at all if it were
not for the amusement she gets out of her books. Come, don't worry
yourself; she loves nobody but you. You ought to be very glad that she
goes into these enthusiasms for the corsairs of Byron and the heroes
Modeste Mignon |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: refuse. You know I would much sooner dance with you.
LORD AUGUSTUS. [With a low bow.] I wish I could think so, Mrs.
Erlynne.
MRS ERLYNNE. You know it far too well. I can fancy a person
dancing through life with you and finding it charming.
LORD AUGUSTUS. [Placing his hand on his white waistcoat.] Oh,
thank you, thank you. You are the most adorable of all ladies!
MRS. ERLYNNE. What a nice speech! So simple and so sincere! Just
the sort of speech I like. Well, you shall hold my bouquet. [Goes
towards ball-room on LORD WINDERMERE'S arm.] Ah, Mr. Dumby, how
are you? I am so sorry I have been out the last three times you
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