| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Works of Samuel Johnson by Samuel Johnson: urges proofs likely to prevail on his opponent, though
he knows himself that they have no force: thus the
severity of reason is relaxed, many topicks are
accumulated, but without just arrangement or
distinction; we learn to satisfy ourselves with such
ratiocination as silences others; and seldom recall to
a close examination, that discourse which has gratified
our vanity with victory and applause.
Some caution, therefore, must be used lest
copiousness and facility be made less valuable by inaccuracy
and confusion. To fix the thoughts by writing, and
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Voice of the City by O. Henry: Garden, sat at the window and took the air. Gen-
erally her ponderous mass of dark auburn hair was
down, that the breeze might have the felicity of aid-
ing Sidonie, the maid, in drying and airing it.
About her shoulders -- the point of her that the pho-
tographers always made the most of -- was loosely
draped a heliotrope scarf. Her arms to the elbow
were bare -- there were no sculptors there to rave
over them -- but even the stolid bricks in the walls
of the alley should not have been so insensate as to
disapprove. While she sat thus Fe1ice, another maid,
The Voice of the City |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: bullied into the chair that Alfred suggested.
Throwing himself into the opposite chair, Alfred selected various
exhibits from his collection of messages. "I just brought these
up from the office," he said. "These are some of the telegrams
that she sent me each day last week while I was away. This is
Monday's." And he proceeded to read with a sneering imitation of
Zoie's cloy sweetness.
" 'Darling, so lonesome without you. Cried all day. When are
you coming home to your wee sad wifie? Love and kisses. Zoie.' "
Tearing the defenceless telegram into bits, Alfred threw it from
him and waited for his friend's verdict.
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