| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: acquirements and the amateurish accomplishments of a clique. But
manners, like art, should be human and central.
Some of my fellow-passengers, as I now moved among them in a relation
of equality, seemed to me excellent gentlemen. They were not rough,
nor hasty, nor disputatious; debated pleasantly, differed kindly;
were helpful, gentle, patient, and placid. The type of manners was
plain, and even heavy; there was little to please the eye, but
nothing to shock; and I thought gentleness lay more nearly at the
spring of behaviour than in many more ornate and delicate societies.
I say delicate, where I cannot say refined; a thing may be fine, like
ironwork, without being delicate, like lace. There was here less
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: There was a queer boulder in the path just there--for all the
world like a dog sitting up begging. Then I went back to the
road. The car was waiting, and I drove back. I just caught the
train. I was a bit ashamed of myself for fancying things maybe,
but, by and by, I saw the man opposite me wink at a woman who was
sitting next to me, and I felt scared again, and was glad the
papers were safe. I went out in the corridor to get a little air.
I thought I'd slip into another carriage. But the woman called
me back, said I'd dropped something, and when I stooped to look,
something seemed to hit me--here." She placed her hand to the
back of her head. "I don't remember anything more until I woke up
Secret Adversary |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: And he fixed up to tell her about his not bein' sure of the size,
and how she was to let him know if they dropped off her, and he'd
exchange' 'em, and when he got right near her door, why, he
couldn't find his courage. And so he slips the parcel under the
fence and starts serenadin' her. But she ain't inside her cabin
at all. She's at supper next door with the Taylors, and Baldy
singin' 'Love has conqwered pride and angwer' to a lone house.
Lin McLean was comin' up by Taylor's corral, where Taylor's Texas
bull was. Well, it was turruble sad. Baldy's pants got tore, but
he fell inside the fence, and Lin druv the bull back and somebody
stole them Medicine Bow galoshes. Are you goin' to knit her some
The Virginian |
