| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Wrecker by Stevenson & Osbourne: Pinkerton, patting my hand, replied: "All right, dear boy; not
another word; that's all done. I'm convinced it's perfectly
right." To return upon the subject was beyond my courage; but
I vowed inwardly that I should do my utmost in the future for
this mad speculation, and that I would cut myself in pieces
before Jim should lose one dollar.
We had no sooner arrived at the address than I had other things
to think of.
"Mr. Dickson? He's gone," said the landlady.
Where had he gone?
"I'm sure I can't tell you," she answered. "He was quite a
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: which enabled him so to blacken a public grief as to give it the
aspect of a national crime.
LAUREL, n. The _laurus_, a vegetable dedicated to Apollo, and
formerly defoliated to wreathe the brows of victors and such poets as
had influence at court. (_Vide supra._)
LAW, n.
Once Law was sitting on the bench,
And Mercy knelt a-weeping.
"Clear out!" he cried, "disordered wench!
Nor come before me creeping.
Upon your knees if you appear,
The Devil's Dictionary |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler: MARIA
Have I not reason to look so?
CHARLOTTE
What new grief distresses you?
MARIA
Oh! how sweet it is, when the heart is borne down
with misfortune, to recline and repose on the bosom
of friendship! Heaven knows that, although it is im-
proper for a young lady to praise a gentleman, yet I
have ever concealed Mr. Dimple's foibles, and spoke
of him as of one whose reputation I expected would
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