| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: that, I think, for my father thrashed her and called her a thief!
However, Monsieur Vyder paid all their debts, and gave them some money
--oh, a bagful! And he brought me away, and poor papa was crying. But
we had to part!--Was it wicked?" she asked.
"And are you very fond of Monsieur Vyder?"
"Fond of him?" said she. "I should think so! He tells me beautiful
stories, madame, every evening; and he has given me nice gowns, and
linen, and a shawl. Why, I am figged out like a princess, and I never
wear sabots now. And then, I have not known what it is to be hungry
these two months past. And I don't live on potatoes now. He brings me
bonbons and burnt almonds, and chocolate almonds.--Aren't they good?--
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Iliad by Homer: than Menelaus. Go, then, and challenge him again--but I should
advise you not to do so, for if you are foolish enough to meet
him in single combat, you will soon fall by his spear."
And Paris answered, "Wife, do not vex me with your reproaches.
This time, with the help of Minerva, Menelaus has vanquished me;
another time I may myself be victor, for I too have gods that
will stand by me. Come, let us lie down together and make
friends. Never yet was I so passionately enamoured of you as at
this moment--not even when I first carried you off from
Lacedaemon and sailed away with you--not even when I had converse
with you upon the couch of love in the island of Cranae was I so
The Iliad |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: to direct the feelings as well as the fortunes of his womenfolk.
Antonia often quoted his opinions to me, and she let me see that she
admired him, while she thought of me only as a little boy. Before the spring
was over, there was a distinct coldness between us and the Shimerdas.
It came about in this way.
One Sunday I rode over there with Jake to get a horse-collar
which Ambrosch had borrowed from him and had not returned.
It was a beautiful blue morning. The buffalo-peas were blooming
in pink and purple masses along the roadside, and the larks,
perched on last year's dried sunflower stalks, were singing
straight at the sun, their heads thrown back and their yellow
My Antonia |
