| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Jolly Corner by Henry James: all the rest of the house, still to run when it should be his time
to go. He would go at his time - only at his time: didn't he go
every night very much at the same hour? He took out his watch -
there was light for that: it was scarcely a quarter past one, and
he had never withdrawn so soon. He reached his lodgings for the
most part at two - with his walk of a quarter of an hour. He would
wait for the last quarter - he wouldn't stir till then; and he kept
his watch there with his eyes on it, reflecting while he held it
that this deliberate wait, a wait with an effort, which he
recognised, would serve perfectly for the attestation he desired to
make. It would prove his courage - unless indeed the latter might
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: "Now stop hemming and hawing, and tell me about it, Edward. I
always loved you, and now I'm proud of you. Everybody believes
there was only one good generous soul in this village, and now it
turns out that you-- Edward, why don't you tell me?"
"Well--er--er--Why, Mary, I can't!"
"You CAN'T? WHY can't you?"
"You see, he--well, he--he made me promise I wouldn't."
The wife looked him over, and said, very slowly:
"Made--you--promise? Edward, what do you tell me that for?"
"Mary, do you think I would lie?"
She was troubled and silent for a moment, then she laid her hand
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: the slightest trace of repentance in his calm face, and he placidly continued
his labor.
"Aren't you sorry you--you treated me so?" burst out Nell.
His coolness was exasperating. Instead of the contrition and apology she had
expected, and which was her due, he evidently intended to tease her, as he had
done so often.
The young man dropped a blanket and stared.
"I don't understand," he said, gravely. "I never saw you before."
This was too much for quick-tempered Nell. She had had some vague idea of
forgiving him, after he had sued sufficiently for pardon; but now, forgetting
her good intentions in the belief that he was making sport of her when he
The Spirit of the Border |
