| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: approach them; but glanced quickly around in search of some one else. At
length she saw Joe unloading goods from one of the wagons; his back was turned
toward her, but she at once recognized the challenge conveyed by the broad
shoulders. She saw no other person; gave heed to nothing save what was to her,
righteous indignation.
Hearing her footsteps, the young man turned, glancing at her admiringly, said:
"Good evening, Miss."
Nell had not expected such a matter-of-fact greeting from Joe. There was not
the slightest trace of repentance in his calm face, and he placidly continued
his labor.
"Aren't you sorry you--you treated me so?" burst out Nell.
The Spirit of the Border |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Weir of Hermiston by Robert Louis Stevenson: weapon of precision for the Nicksons, the Ellwalds, and the Crozers.
The exhilaration of their exploits seemed to haunt the memories of their
descendants alone, and the shame to be forgotten. Pride glowed in their
bosoms to publish their relationship to "Andrew Ellwald of the
Laverockstanes, called `Unchancy Dand,' who was justifeed wi' seeven
mair of the same name at Jeddart in the days of King James the Sax." In
all this tissue of crime and misfortune, the Elliotts of Cauldstaneslap
had one boast which must appear legitimate: the males were gallows-
birds, born outlaws, petty thieves, and deadly brawlers; but, according
to the same tradition, the females were all chaste and faithful. The
power of ancestry on the character is not limited to the inheritance of
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Mother by Owen Wister: announced to our assembled company that if his turn should really come to
tell us a story, the story should be no invention of his fancy, but a
page of truth, a chapter from his own life, in which himself was the hero
and a lovely, innocent girl was the heroine, his wife at once looked
extremely uncomfortable. She changed the reclining position in which she
had been leaning back in her chair, and she sat erect, with a hand closed
upon each arm of the chair.
"Richard," she said. "do you think that it is right of you to tell any
one, even friends, anything that you have never yet confessed to me?"
"Ethel," replied Richard, "although I cannot promise that you will be
entirely proud of my conduct when you have heard this episode of my past,
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