| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell: and if it does not get much worse than this I shall say nothing about it,
for we are very well treated here; but if they strain me up tight,
why, let 'em look out! I can't bear it, and I won't."
Day by day, hole by hole, our bearing reins were shortened,
and instead of looking forward with pleasure to having my harness put on,
as I used to do, I began to dread it. Ginger, too, seemed restless,
though she said very little. At last I thought the worst was over;
for several days there was no more shortening, and I determined
to make the best of it and do my duty, though it was now a constant harass
instead of a pleasure; but the worst was not come.
23 A Strike for Liberty
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart: He was all attention in a moment.
"I was up there myself at the fire," he said volubly. "I'm a
member of the volunteer company. First big fire we've had since
the summer house burned over to the club golf links. My wife was
sayin' the other day, `Dave, you might as well 'a' saved the
money in that there helmet and shirt.' And here last night they
came in handy. Rang that bell so hard I hadn't time scarcely to
get 'em on."
"And--did you see a man who limped?" Gertrude put in, as he
stopped for breath.
"Not at the train, ma'm," he said. "No such person got on here
The Circular Staircase |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: is a feeling which separates me from this age, and links me with
that to which I am hastening; and even when it seems, as now, to
lead me to the brink of the grave, and bid me gaze on it, I do
not love that it should be dispelled. It soothes my imagination,
without influencing my reason or conduct."
"I profess, my good lady," replied I, "that had any one but you
made such a declaration, I should have thought it as capricious
as that of the clergyman, who, without vindicating his false
reading, preferred, from habit's sake, his old Mumpsimus to the
modern Sumpsimus."
"Well," answered my aunt, "I must explain my inconsistency in
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