| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: Fix, who suspected Mr. Fogg's every movement, followed them cautiously,
without being himself perceived; while Passepartout, laughing in his sleeve
at Fix's manoeuvres, went about his usual errands.
The island of Singapore is not imposing in aspect, for there are
no mountains; yet its appearance is not without attractions.
It is a park checkered by pleasant highways and avenues.
A handsome carriage, drawn by a sleek pair of New Holland horses,
carried Phileas Fogg and Aouda into the midst of rows of palms
with brilliant foliage, and of clove-trees, whereof the cloves
form the heart of a half-open flower. Pepper plants replaced
the prickly hedges of European fields; sago-bushes, large ferns
Around the World in 80 Days |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: flowers whose color and fragrance console for every grief, for
every wound, for every betrayal which makes up the life of a
literary man; and I thank you with an impulse equal to your own.
But after this poetical exchange of my griefs for the pearls of
your charity, what next? what do you expect? I have neither the
genius nor the splendid position of Lord Byron; above all, I have
not the halo of his fictitious damnation and his false social
woes. But what could you have hoped from him in like
circumstances? His friendship? Well, he who ought to have felt
only pride was eaten up by vanity of every kind,--sickly,
irritable vanity which discouraged friendship. I, a thousand-fold
Modeste Mignon |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: starve, they suffer, no doubt, but they come out of it hardened,
they come out of it with souls.
Of an evening the Wimblehurst blade, shiny-faced from a wash and
with some loud finery, a coloured waistcoat or a vivid tie, would
betake himself to the Eastry Arms billiard-room, or to the bar
parlour of some minor pub where nap could be played. One soon
sickened of his slow knowingness, the cunning observation of his
deadened eyes, his idea of a "good story," always, always told in
undertones, poor dirty worm! his shrewd, elaborate maneuvers for
some petty advantage, a drink to the good or such-like deal.
There rises before my eyes as I write, young Hopley Dodd, the son
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