| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Altar of the Dead by Henry James: Celebrations and suppressions were equally painful to him, and but
one of the former found a place in his life. He had kept each year
in his own fashion the date of Mary Antrim's death. It would be
more to the point perhaps to say that this occasion kept HIM: it
kept him at least effectually from doing anything else. It took
hold of him again and again with a hand of which time had softened
but never loosened the touch. He waked to his feast of memory as
consciously as he would have waked to his marriage-morn. Marriage
had had of old but too little to say to the matter: for the girl
who was to have been his bride there had been no bridal embrace.
She had died of a malignant fever after the wedding-day had been
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Yates Pride by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: "I am not now. I never intended to deceive you, but you were
deceived. I did intend to deceive others, others who had no right
to know. I do not feel that I owe them any explanation. I do owe
you one, although I do not feel that I have done anything wrong.
Still, I cannot allow you to remain deceived."
"Well, what is it, dear?"
Eudora looked at him. "You remember that afternoon when you met
me with the baby-carriage?"
"Well, I should think so. My memory has not failed me in three
days."
"You thought I had a baby in that carriage."
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: much about Mr. Tilney, for perhaps I may never see him again."
"Not see him again! My dearest creature, do not talk
of it. I am sure you would be miserable if you thought so!"
"No, indeed, I should not. I do not pretend to say
that I was not very much pleased with him; but while I
have Udolpho to read, I feel as if nobody could make
me miserable. Oh! The dreadful black veil! My dear Isabella,
I am sure there must be Laurentina's skeleton behind it."
"It is so odd to me, that you should never have
read Udolpho before; but I suppose Mrs. Morland objects
to novels."
Northanger Abbey |
