| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: grand theatrical effect,--the opening of the picture gallery
illuminated by lamps, the reflections of which were managed with the
utmost care. Three neighbours, also retired merchants, an old uncle
(from whom were expectations), an elderly Demoiselle Vervelle, and a
number of other guests invited to be present at this ovation to a
great artist followed Grassou into the picture gallery, all curious to
hear his opinion of the famous collection of pere Vervelle, who was
fond of oppressing them with the fabulous value of his paintings. The
bottle-merchant seemed to have the idea of competing with King Louis-
Philippe and the galleries of Versailles.
The pictures, magnificently framed, each bore labels on which was read
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: its most famous heroes had been born of such left-handed marriages
as that of Robert of Normandy with the tanner's daughter of Falaise.
"Some are so curious in this behalf," says quaint old Burton,
writing about 1650, "as these old Romans, our modern Venetians,
Dutch, and French, that if two parties dearly love, the one noble,
the other ignoble, they may not, by their laws, match, though equal
otherwise in years, fortunes, education, and all good affection. In
Germany, except they can prove their gentility by three descents,
they scorn to match with them. A nobleman must marry a noblewoman;
a baron, a baron's daughter; a knight, a knight's. As slaters sort
their slates, do they degrees and families."
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Underneath the wooded headlands,
Underneath the war encampment
Of the pygmies, the Puk-Wudjies.
There they stood, all armed and waiting,
Hurled the pine-cones down upon him,
Struck him on his brawny shoulders,
On his crown defenceless struck him.
"Death to Kwasind!" was the sudden
War-cry of the Little People.
And he sideways swayed and tumbled,
Sideways fell into the river,
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