| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: friend had never seen, bloomed in Mrs. Jordan's discourse like a
new Eden, and she converted the past into a bank of violets by the
tone in which she said "Of course you always knew my one passion!"
She obviously met now, at any rate, a big contemporary need,
measured what it was rapidly becoming for people to feel they could
trust her without a tremor. It brought them a peace that--during
the quarter of an hour before dinner in especial--was worth more to
them than mere payment could express. Mere payment, none the less,
was tolerably prompt; she engaged by the month, taking over the
whole thing; and there was an evening on which, in respect to our
heroine, she at last returned to the charge. "It's growing and
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Beast in the Jungle by Henry James: and again has made me think of you since; it was that tremendously
hot day when we went to Sorrento, across the bay, for the breeze.
What I allude to was what you said to me, on the way back, as we
sat under the awning of the boat enjoying the cool. Have you
forgotten?"
He had forgotten, and was even more surprised than ashamed. But
the great thing was that he saw in this no vulgar reminder of any
"sweet" speech. The vanity of women had long memories, but she was
making no claim on him of a compliment or a mistake. With another
woman, a totally different one, he might have feared the recall
possibly even some imbecile "offer." So, in having to say that he
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Under the Andes by Rex Stout: passed; others came, and still others. For many minutes the sound
continued steadily, unbroken, while we sat huddled up against the
wall, scarcely daring to breathe.
Immediately in front of me lay the forms of the woman and the
children; I could see their dull eyes, unblinking, looking up at me
in abject terror. Still the patter of footsteps sounded from
without, with now and then an interval of quiet.
Struck by a sudden thought, I signaled to Harry; and when he
had moved further back into his corner I sprang across the room in
one bound to his side. A word or two of whispering, and he nodded
to show that he understood. We crouched together flat against the
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