| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Heart of the West by O. Henry: "I think," said the lady passenger, slightly moving upon her lowly
throne, "that that is a char--"
"Oh, Miss Garland!" interposed Judge Menefee, with uplifted hand, "I
beg of you, no comments! It would not be fair to the other
contestants. Mr.--er--will you take the next turn?" The Judge
addressed the young man who had the Agency.
"My version of the romance," began the young man, diffidently clasping
his hands, "would be this: They did not quarrel when they parted. Mr.
Redruth bade her good-by and went out into the world to seek his
fortune. He knew his love would remain true to him. He scorned the
thought that his rival could make an impression upon a heart so fond
Heart of the West |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: "Ages." ii.; xx.; Lyc. xx.
[2] Or, "he would discuss graver matters, according to the humour of
his friends."
[3] Or, "of courageous conduct," "noble manhood."
But that he was capable of lofty sentiment and at the right season
must not be overlooked. Thus when a letter reached him from the king
(I speak of that which was brought by the Persian agent in company
with Calleas[4] of Lacedaemon, proposing terms of hospitality and
friendship with the Persian monarch), he disdained to accept it,
telling the bearer to take back to the king this answer: "He need not
be at pains to send him letters in private, but if he could prove
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: young wives tempted from a silent life by the bait of glory. Very
strange doctrines were proclaimed as to the part women should play in
society. Though the sound common sense which lies at the root of the
French nature was not perverted, women were suffered to express ideas
and profess opinions which they would not have owned to a few years
previously.
Monsieur de Clagny took advantage of this outbreak of freedom to
collect the works of Jan Diaz in a small volume printed by Desroziers
at Moulins. He wrote a little notice of the author, too early snatched
from the world of letters, which was amusing to those who were in the
secret, but which even then had not the merit of novelty. Such
The Muse of the Department |
