The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: would become merged in this spiral if the number of radii were
infinite, for this would reduce the length of the rectilinear
elements indefinitely and change this polygonal line into a curve.
To suggest an explanation why this spiral has so greatly exercised
the meditations of science, let us confine ourselves for the
present to a few statements of which the reader will find the proof
in any treatise on higher geometry.
The logarithmic spiral describes an endless number of circuits
around its pole, to which it constantly draws nearer without ever
being able to reach it. This central point is indefinitely
inaccessible at each approaching turn. It is obvious that this
The Life of the Spider |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Girl with the Golden Eyes by Honore de Balzac: "Well, at last I have an adventure which is entirely romantic," said
Henri, when Paul returned. "After having shared in a certain number I
have finished by finding in Paris an intrigue accompanied by serious
accidents, by grave perils. The deuce! what courage danger gives a
woman! To torment a woman, to try and contradict her--doesn't it give
her the right and the courage to scale in one moment obstacles which
it would take her years to surmount of herself? Pretty creature, jump
then! To die? Poor child! Daggers? Oh, imagination of women! They
cannot help trying to find authority for their little jests. Besides,
can one think of it, Paquita? Can one think of it, my child? The devil
take me, now that I know this beautiful girl, this masterpiece of
The Girl with the Golden Eyes |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: spoke, "that you are a vegetarian?"
"Why, yes; I have not eaten meat for three years."
"Im--possible! Have you any family?"
"No."
"There now, you see, that's what you're coming to! Who ever heard of
having children upon vegetables? It is not possible. But you never have
large families in England now; I suppose you are too busy with your
suffragetting. Now I have had nine children, and they are all alive, thank
God. Fine, healthy babies--though after the first one was born I had to--"
"How WONDERFUL!" I cried.
"Wonderful," said the Widow contemptuously, replacing the hairpin in the
|