| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: his guest. His most intimate friend of those days, Joshua F.
Speed, tells us that soon after riding into the new capital on a
borrowed horse, with all his earthly possessions packed in a pair
of saddle-bags, Lincoln entered the store owned by Speed, the
saddle-bags over his arm, to ask the price of a single bed with
its necessary coverings and pillows. His question being answered,
he remarked that very likely that was cheap enough, but, small as
the price was, he was unable to pay it; adding that if Speed was
willing to credit him until Christmas, and his experiment as a
lawyer proved a success, he would pay then. "If I fail in this,"
he said sadly, "I do not know that I can ever pay you." Speed
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war. . .testing whether
that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated. . .
can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place
for those who here gave their lives that this nation might live.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. . .we cannot consecrate. . .
we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember,
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: rose; it was his first open appearance, the German firm signing its
revolutionary work. His words were few and uncompromising: "Great
are my thanks that the chiefs and heads of families of the whole of
Samoa are assembled here this day. It is strictly forbidden that
any discussion should take place as to whether it is good or not
that Tamasese is king of Samoa, whether at this fono or at any
future fono. I place for your signature the following: 'WE INFORM
ALL THE PEOPLE OF SAMOA OF WHAT FOLLOWS: (1) THE GOVERNMENT OF
SAMOA HAS BEEN ASSUMED BY KING TUIAANA TAMASESE. (2) BY ORDER OF
THE KING, IT WAS DIRECTED THAT A FONO SHOULD TAKE PLACE TO-DAY,
COMPOSED OF THE CHIEFS AND HEADS OF FAMILIES, AND WE HAVE OBEYED
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