| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: Robin had noticed as they passed that the summer stream was low.
"Why, thou brawling mongrel," said Robin, "that whether thou be thief, friar,
or ferryman, or an ill-mixed compound of all three, passes conjecture,
though I judge thee to be simple thief, what barkest thou at thus?
Villain, there is clink of brass for thee. Dost thou see this coin?
Dost thou hear this music? Look and listen: for touch thou shalt not:
my minstrelship defies thee. Thou shalt carry me on thy back over the water,
and receive nothing but a cracked sconce for thy trouble."
"A bargain," said the friar: "for the water is low, the labour is light,
and the reward is alluring." And he stooped down for Robin, who mounted
his back, and the friar waded with him over the river.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Padre Ignacio by Owen Wister: young guest whose elegance and bearing and ease of the great world were
to the exiled priest as sweet as was his traveled conversation.
They repaired to the hall and took their seats at the head of the long
table. For the Spanish centuries of stately custom lived at Santa YsabeI
del Mar, inviolate, feudal, remote.
They were the only persons of quality present; and between themselves and
the gente de razon a space intervened. Behind the Padre's chair stood an
Indian to waft upon him, and another stood behind the chair of Gaston
Villere. Each of these servants wore one single white garment, and
offered the many dishes to the gente fina and refilled their glasses. At
the lower end of the table a general attendant wafted upon mesclados--the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne: bear it! It must not stare me in the face!"
"Yes, dear Clifford, the picture shall be covered," said Hepzibah
soothingly. "There is a crimson curtain in a trunk above stairs,--a
little faded and moth-eaten, I'm afraid,--but Phoebe and I will do
wonders with it."
"This very day, remember" said he; and then added, in a low,
self-communing voice, "Why should we live in this dismal house
at all? Why not go to the South of France?--to Italy?--Paris,
Naples, Venice, Rome? Hepzibah will say we have not the
means. A droll idea that!"
He smiled to himself, and threw a glance of fine sarcastic
House of Seven Gables |
