| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: people's houses to look after the flowers. Mrs. Jordan had a
manner of her own of sounding this allusion; "the flowers," on her
lips, were, in fantastic places, in happy homes, as usual as the
coals or the daily papers. She took charge of them, at any rate,
in all the rooms, at so much a month, and people were quickly
finding out what it was to make over this strange burden of the
pampered to the widow of a clergyman. The widow, on her side,
dilating on the initiations thus opened up to her, had been
splendid to her young friend, over the way she was made free of the
greatest houses--the way, especially when she did the dinner-
tables, set out so often for twenty, she felt that a single step
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Democracy In America, Volume 1 by Alexis de Toqueville: most fit to wield the supreme authority. I confess that the
observations I made in America by no means coincide with these
opinions. On my arrival in the United States I was surprised to
find so much distinguished talent among the subjects, and so
little among the heads of the Government. It is a
well-authenticated fact, that at the present day the most able
men in the United States are very rarely placed at the head of
affairs; and it must be acknowledged that such has been the
result in proportion as democracy has outstepped all its former
limits. The race of American statesmen has evidently dwindled
most remarkably in the course of the last fifty years.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous by Oscar Wilde: Fetch your own sword. Why do you tarry, sir?
SIMONE. My lord, of all the gracious courtesies
That you have showered on my barren house
This is the highest.
Bianca, fetch my sword.
Thrust back that stool and table. We must have
An open circle for our match at arms,
And good Bianca here shall hold the torch
Lest what is but a jest grow serious.
BIANCA [To Guido]. Oh! kill him, kill him!
SIMONE. Hold the torch, Bianca.
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