| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: the stripes are either plainer or appear more commonly in the young than in
the old. Call the breeds of pigeons, some of which have bred true for
centuries, species; and how exactly parallel is the case with that of the
species of the horse-genus! For myself, I venture confidently to look back
thousands on thousands of generations, and I see an animal striped like a
zebra, but perhaps otherwise very differently constructed, the common
parent of our domestic horse, whether or not it be descended from one or
more wild stocks, of the ass, the hemionus, quagga, and zebra.
He who believes that each equine species was independently created, will, I
presume, assert that each species has been created with a tendency to vary,
both under nature and under domestication, in this particular manner, so as
On the Origin of Species |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: replied. She said no more, and they went down the other dance
and parted in silence; and on each side dissatisfied, though not to
an equal degree, for in Darcy's breast there was a tolerable
powerful feeling towards her, which soon procured her pardon,
and directed all his anger against another.
They had not long separated, when Miss Bingley came towards
her, and with an expression of civil disdain accosted her:-- "So,
Miss Eliza, I hear you are quite delighted with George
Wickham! Your sister has been talking to me about him, and
asking me a thousand questions; and I find that the young man
quite forgot to tell you, among his other communication, that he
Pride and Prejudice |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: and preceded him along the corridors with rapid steps. Presently he
halted and stood close against the wall as the party came up; he spoke
quickly, standing with his hands on his hips, so that his voluminous
mantle covered a wide space of the wall behind him. But just above his
head the top of a door was visible. Vitellius remarked it instantly,
and demanded to know what it concealed.
The tetrarch explained that the door was fastened, and that none could
open it save the Babylonian, Jacim.
"Summon him, then!" was the command.
A slave was sent to find Jacim, while the group awaited his coming.
The father of Jacim had come from the banks of the Euphrates to offer
Herodias |
