| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: as a resident curate, and was even courteous enough to hint at
the advantage of such resident curate's being married.
"I wish," said Henrietta, very well pleased with her companion,
"I wish Lady Russell lived at Uppercross, and were intimate
with Dr Shirley. I have always heard of Lady Russell as a woman of
the greatest influence with everybody! I always look upon her as able
to persuade a person to anything! I am afraid of her, as I have
told you before, quite afraid of her, because she is so very clever;
but I respect her amazingly, and wish we had such a neighbour
at Uppercross."
Anne was amused by Henrietta's manner of being grateful,
Persuasion |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Intentions by Oscar Wilde: avail himself of it would miss a most vital element in producing an
illusionist effect. The effeminacy of dress that characterised the
reign of Richard the Second was a constant theme of contemporary
authors. Shakespeare, writing two hundred years after, makes the
king's fondness for gay apparel and foreign fashions a point in the
play, from John of Gaunt's reproaches down to Richard's own speech
in the third act on his deposition from the throne. And that
Shakespeare examined Richard's tomb in Westminster Abbey seems to
me certain from York's speech:-
See, see, King Richard doth himself appear
As doth the blushing discontented sun
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Z. Marcas by Honore de Balzac: tell him that an uncle of mine has dropped in from the country, and
that his indifference in matters of dress is quite a discredit to me
in the upper circles where I am trying to find a wife.--It will not be
Humann if he sends in his bill before three months."
The Doctor thought this a capital idea for a vaudeville, but poor
enough in real life, and doubted my success. But I give you my word of
honor, Humann dressed Marcas, and, being an artist, turned him out as
a political personage ought to be dressed.
Juste lent Marcas two hundred francs in gold, the product of two
watches bought on credit, and pawned at the Mont-de-Piete. For my
part, I had said nothing of the six shirts and all necessary linen,
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