| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: and found myself facing a young woman in blue with an unforgettable
face. ("Three women already." McKnight says: "That's going some,
even if you don't count the Gilmore nurse.") She stood, half-turned
toward me, one hand idly drooping, the other steadying her as she
gazed out at the flying landscape. I had an instant impression that
I had met her somewhere, under different circumstances, more cheerful
ones, I thought, for the girl's dejection now was evident. Beside
her, sitting down, a small dark woman, considerably older, was
talking in a rapid undertone. The girl nodded indifferently now and
then. I fancied, although I was not sure, that my appearance brought
a startled look into the young woman's face. I sat down and, hands
The Man in Lower Ten |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: the Spider would hesitate and blunder. Does she work
imperturbably? Or does she need undisturbed quiet? As it is, I
know that my presence and that of my light hardly trouble her at
all. The sudden flashes emitted by my lantern have no power to
distract her from her task. She continues to turn in the light
even as she turned in the dark, neither faster nor slower. This is
a good omen for the experiment which I have in view.
The first Sunday in August is the feast of the patron saint of the
village, commemorating the Finding of St. Stephen. This is
Tuesday, the third day of the rejoicings. There will be fireworks
to-night, at nine o'clock, to conclude the merry-makings. They
The Life of the Spider |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Euthydemus by Plato: the degree of good and evil in them depends on whether they are or are not
under the guidance of knowledge: under the guidance of ignorance, they are
greater evils than their opposites, inasmuch as they are more able to
minister to the evil principle which rules them; and when under the
guidance of wisdom and prudence, they are greater goods: but in themselves
they are nothing?
That, he replied, is obvious.
What then is the result of what has been said? Is not this the result--
that other things are indifferent, and that wisdom is the only good, and
ignorance the only evil?
He assented.
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