| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: astonished, when Paul joined him, to see that his old client's brow
was calm and his face serene, though noticeably changed. If at the age
of thirty-three the Comte de Manerville seemed to be a man of forty,
that change in his appearance was due solely to mental shocks;
physically, he was well. He clasped the old man's hand affectionately,
and forced him not to rise, saying:--
"Dear, kind Maitre Mathias, you, too, have had your troubles."
"Mine were natural troubles, Monsieur le comte; but yours--"
"We will talk of that presently, while we sup."
"If I had not a son in the magistracy, and a daughter married," said
the good old man, "you would have found in old Mathias, believe me,
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: is related in the life of Scipio. In a word, he seemed ever to make
this all his thought and philosophy, as the most kingly part of
learning; other curiosities he held in no account. He is reported,
when asked at a feast whether he thought Python or Caphisias the best
musician, to have said, Polysperchon was the best soldier, as though
it became a king to examine and understand only such things. Towards
his familiars he was mild, and not easily incensed; zealous, and even
vehement in returning kindnesses. Thus when Aeropus was dead, he
could not bear it with moderation, saying, he indeed had suffered
what was common to human nature, but condemning and blaming himself,
that by puttings off and delays he had not returned his kindness in
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Options by O. Henry: ancients are discredited; Plato is boiler-plate; Aristotle is
tottering; Marcus Aurelius is reeling; Aesop has been copyrighted by
Indiana; Solomon is too solemn; you couldn't get anything out of
Epictetus with a pick.
The ant, which for many years served as a model of intelligence and
industry in the school-readers, has been proven to be a doddering
idiot and a waster of time and effort. The owl to-day is hooted at.
Chautauqua conventions have abandoned culture and adopted diabolo.
Graybeards give glowing testimonials to the venders of patent hair-
restorers. There are typographical errors in the almanacs published
by the daily newspapers. College professors have become--
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