| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: people, all put together, in America - I mean the whole thing,
British Possessions and all; in the beginning of our century there
were only 6,000,000 or 7,000,000 - say seven; 12,000,000 or
14,000,000 in 1825; say 23,000,000 in 1850; 40,000,000 in 1875.
Our death-rate has always been 20 in 1000 per annum. Well, 140,000
died the first year of the century; 280,000 the twenty-fifth year;
500,000 the fiftieth year; about a million the seventy-fifth year.
Now I am going to be liberal about this thing, and consider that
fifty million whites have died in America from the beginning up to
to-day - make it sixty, if you want to; make it a hundred million -
it's no difference about a few millions one way or t'other. Well,
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: at the foot of the stairs, half covered over with a large Oriental rug.
Eugenia lingered a little, noticing a great many things.
"Comme c'est bien!" she said to herself; such a large, solid,
irreproachable basis of existence the place seemed to her to indicate.
And then she reflected that Mrs. Acton was soon to withdraw from it.
The reflection accompanied her the rest of the way down-stairs,
where she paused again, making more observations. The hall was
extremely broad, and on either side of the front door was a wide,
deeply-set window, which threw the shadows of everything back
into the house. There were high-backed chairs along the wall
and big Eastern vases upon tables, and, on either side,
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from King Lear by William Shakespeare: Loyal and natural boy, I'll work the means
To make thee capable.
Enter Cornwall, Regan, and Attendants.
Corn. How now, my noble friend? Since I came hither
(Which I can call but now) I have heard strange news.
Reg. If it be true, all vengeance comes too short
Which can pursue th' offender. How dost, my lord?
Glou. O madam, my old heart is crack'd, it's crack'd!
Reg. What, did my father's godson seek your life?
He whom my father nam'd? Your Edgar?
Glou. O lady, lady, shame would have it hid!
King Lear |
