| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce: spiders stretching their webs from twig to twig. He noted
the prismatic colors in all the dewdrops upon a million
blades of grass. The humming of the gnats that danced above
the eddies of the stream, the beating of the dragon flies'
wings, the strokes of the water spiders' legs, like oars
which had lifted their boat -- all these made audible
music. A fish slid along beneath his eyes and he heard the
rush of its body parting the water.
He had come to the surface facing down the stream; in a
moment the visible world seemed to wheel slowly round,
himself the pivotal point, and he saw the bridge, the fort,
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Daughter of Eve by Honore de Balzac: with a future peer of France, the Baron de Nucingen, who is to leave
me his place in the Chamber of Deputies."
"Then permit her to join me in my box at the Opera," said the
countess, without even glancing at her sister, so much did she fear
that Eugenie's candor would betray them.
"She has her own box, madame," said du Tillet, nettled.
"Very good; then I will go to hers," replied the countess.
"It will be the first time you have done us that honor," said du
Tillet.
The countess felt the sting of that reproach, and began to laugh.
"Well, never mind; you shall not be made to pay anything this time.
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: that the wood of the eucalyptus has begun to be very advantageously
employed in cabinet-making."
"And I may add," said Herbert, "that the eucalyptus belongs to a family
which comprises many useful members; the guava-tree, from whose fruit guava
jelly is made; the clove-tree, which produces the spice; the pomegranate-
tree, which bears pomegranates; the Eugeacia Cauliflora, the fruit of which
is used in making a tolerable wine; the Ugui myrtle, which contains an
excellent alcoholic liquor; the Caryophyllus myrtle, of which the bark
forms an esteemed cinnamon; the Eugenia Pimenta, from whence comes Jamaica
pepper; the common myrtle, from whose buds and berries spice is sometimes
made; the Eucalyptus manifera, which yields a sweet sort of manna; the
The Mysterious Island |
