| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: instruments that promote foreign luxury: Of curing the
expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our
women: Of introducing a vein of parsimony, prudence and
temperance: Of learning to love our country, wherein we differ
even from Laplanders, and the inhabitants of Topinamboo: Of
quitting our animosities and factions, nor acting any longer like
the Jews, who were murdering one another at the very moment their
city was taken: Of being a little cautious not to sell our
country and consciences for nothing: Of teaching landlords to
have at least one degree of mercy towards their tenants. Lastly,
of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our
A Modest Proposal |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: more pleasing to me than Willoughby's ever were, but they
are of a kind I well know to be more solidly attaching
to Marianne. Their gentleness, their genuine attention
to other people, and their manly unstudied simplicity
is much more accordant with her real disposition, than
the liveliness--often artificial, and often ill-timed
of the other. I am very sure myself, that had Willoughby
turned out as really amiable, as he has proved himself
the contrary, Marianne would yet never have been so happy
with HIM, as she will be with Colonel Brandon."
She paused.--Her daughter could not quite agree
Sense and Sensibility |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: eyes on the old fashioned herb-beds, with the old-fashioned
scents in the air, and the dark belt of trees bounding the view
on either side, I could believe that I had been out of Paris not
three weeks, but three months. The quiet lapped me round. I
could fancy that I had never loved anything else. The wood-doves
cooed in the stillness; occasionally the harsh cry of a jay
jarred the silence. It was an hour after noon, and hot. I think
I nodded.
On a sudden, as if in a dream, I saw Clon's face peering at me
round the angle of the parlour door. He looked, and in a moment
withdrew, and I heard whispering. The door was gently closed.
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