| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from American Notes by Rudyard Kipling: of downright humanity in that same. A bad, wicked dress-maker
had promised the maiden a dress in time for a to-morrow's
rail-way journey, and though the barefooted Georgy, who stood in
very wholesome awe of his sister, had scoured the woods on a pony
in search, that dress never arrived. So, with sorrow in her
heart and a hundred Sister-Anne glances up the road, she waited
upon the strangers and, I doubt not, cursed them for the wants
that stood between her and her need for tears. It was a genuine
little tragedy. The mother, in a heavy, passionless voice,
rebuked her impatience, yet sat up far into the night, bowed over
a heap of sewing for the daughter's benefit.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Critias by Plato: tale, which was of great length, began as follows:--
I have before remarked in speaking of the allotments of the gods, that they
distributed the whole earth into portions differing in extent, and made for
themselves temples and instituted sacrifices. And Poseidon, receiving for
his lot the island of Atlantis, begat children by a mortal woman, and
settled them in a part of the island, which I will describe. Looking
towards the sea, but in the centre of the whole island, there was a plain
which is said to have been the fairest of all plains and very fertile.
Near the plain again, and also in the centre of the island at a distance of
about fifty stadia, there was a mountain not very high on any side. In
this mountain there dwelt one of the earth-born primeval men of that
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: with his hand into the darkness at the left. "Tomorrow early they will be
here, before the sun has risen."
"Oh, you've met them, have you!" said Peter joyfully; "that's why you
weren't surprised at finding me here. Take a drop!" He took the small
flask from his pocket and held it out. "I'm sorry there's so little, but a
drop will keep the cold out."
The stranger bowed his head; but thanked and declined.
Peter raised the flask to his lips and took a small draught; then returned
it to his pocket. The stranger folded his arms about his knees, and looked
into the fire.
"Are you a Jew?" asked Peter, suddenly; as the firelight fell full on the
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