| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner: the German was deeply interested in every word, "He was a coward--what you
might call a coward. You've never been in Russia, I suppose?" said
Bonaparte, fixing his crosswise looking eyes on the German's face.
"No, no," said the old man humbly. "France, England, Germany, a little in
this country; it is all I have travelled."
"I, my friend," said Bonaparte, "I have been in every country in the world,
and speak every civilised language, excepting only Dutch and German. I
wrote a book of my travels--noteworthy incidents. Publisher got it--
cheated me out of it. Great rascals those publishers! Upon one occasion
the Duke of Wellington's nephew and I were travelling in Russia. All of a
sudden one of the horses dropped down dead as a doornail. There we were--
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre: keep the Spider informed of whatsoever happens. It has a double
office: it forms part of the Catherine-wheel supporting the lime-
threads and it warns the Epeira by its vibrations. A special
thread is here superfluous.
The other snarers, on the contrary, who occupy a distant retreat by
day, cannot do without a private wire that keeps them in permanent
communication with the deserted web. All of them have one, in
point of fact, but only when age comes, age prone to rest and to
long slumbers. In their youth, the Epeirae, who are then very
wide-awake, know nothing of the art of telegraphy. Besides, their
web, a short-lived work whereof hardly a trace remains on the
The Life of the Spider |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: MISS HARDCASTLE. And that, some say, is the very worst way to obtain
them.
MARLOW. Perhaps so, madam. But I love to converse only with the more
grave and sensible part of the sex. But I'm afraid I grow tiresome.
MISS HARDCASTLE. Not at all, sir; there is nothing I like so much as
grave conversation myself; I could hear it for ever. Indeed, I have
often been surprised how a man of sentiment could ever admire those
light airy pleasures, where nothing reaches the heart.
MARLOW. It's----a disease----of the mind, madam. In the variety of
tastes there must be some who, wanting a relish----for----um--a--um.
MISS HARDCASTLE. I understand you, sir. There must be some, who,
She Stoops to Conquer |
