| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: "However, you'd get a great deal in return. There's a something to
be said for wives," he added, folding his arms and crossing his
outstretched legs. He declined tobacco altogether and sat there
without returning fire. His companion stopped smoking, touched by
his courtesy; and after all they were out of the fumes, their sofa
was in a far-away corner. It would have been a mistake, St. George
went on, a great mistake for them to have separated without a
little chat; "for I know all about you," he said, "I know you're
very remarkable. You've written a very distinguished book."
"And how do you know it?" Paul asked.
"Why, my dear fellow, it's in the air, it's in the papers, it's
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Domestic Peace by Honore de Balzac: to ask her the name of the mysterious lady, when he perceived a little
space left clear between the pedestal of the candelabrum and the two
sofas, which ended in that corner. The dance had left several of the
chairs vacant, which formed rows of fortifications held by mothers or
women of middle age; and the Colonel seized the opportunity to make
his way through this palisade hung with shawls and wraps. He began by
making himself agreeable to the dowagers, and so from one to another,
and from compliment to compliment, he at last reached the empty space
next the stranger. At the risk of catching on to the gryphons and
chimaeras of the huge candelabrum, he stood there, braving the glare
and dropping of the wax candles, to Martial's extreme annoyance.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the small end
of a large branch, and the bear got about half-way to him. As soon
as the bear got out to that part where the limb of the tree was
weaker, "Ha!" says he to us, "now you see me teachee the bear
dance:" so he began jumping and shaking the bough, at which the
bear began to totter, but stood still, and began to look behind
him, to see how he should get back; then, indeed, we did laugh
heartily. But Friday had not done with him by a great deal; when
seeing him stand still, he called out to him again, as if he had
supposed the bear could speak English, "What, you come no farther?
pray you come farther;" so he left jumping and shaking the tree;
Robinson Crusoe |
