| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: likewise, lives and feels, and is equally helpless and harmless;
but though she would not hurt a toad, she cannot love it like the
bird, with its graceful form, soft feathers, and bright, speaking
eyes. If a woman is fair and amiable, she is praised for both
qualities, but especially the former, by the bulk of mankind: if,
on the other hand, she is disagreeable in person and character, her
plainness is commonly inveighed against as her greatest crime,
because, to common observers, it gives the greatest offence; while,
if she is plain and good, provided she is a person of retired
manners and secluded life, no one ever knows of her goodness,
except her immediate connections. Others, on the contrary, are
Agnes Grey |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Aspern Papers by Henry James: property for twenty-four hours I should be happy to take advice upon it;
but she made no answer to this save to slip it in silence into her pocket.
This convinced me still more that she had no sincere intention of selling
it during her lifetime, though she may have desired to satisfy herself
as to the sum her niece, should she leave it to her, might expect
eventually to obtain for it. "Well, at any rate I hope you will not offer
it without giving me notice," I said as she remained irresponsive.
"Remember that I am a possible purchaser."
"I should want your money first!" she returned with unexpected rudeness;
and then, as if she bethought herself that I had just cause to complain
of such an insinuation and wished to turn the matter off, asked abruptly
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: charms of the chimney-corner, is neglecting his superhuman genius,
leaving his talents to get cold and his imagination to go flat?"
Gambara knew all the company; he dwelt in a sphere so far above them
all that he no longer cared to repel an attack. He made no reply.
"It is not given to everybody," said the journalist, "to have an
intellect that can understand Monsieur Gambara's musical efforts, and
that, no doubt, is why our divine maestro hesitates to come before the
worthy Parisian public."
"And yet," said the ballad-monger, who had not opened his mouth but to
swallow everything that came within his reach, "I know some men of
talent who think highly of the judgments of Parisian critics. I myself
Gambara |
