| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland: "I notice you have some pictures painted by the Old Buddha," he
continued, referring to the Empress Dowager by a name by which
she is popularly known in Peking.
"Yes, I have seven pictures from her brush," I answered.
"Do you happen to have any from the brush of the Lady Miao, her
painting teacher?" he inquired.
"I am sorry to say I have not," I replied. "I have tried
repeatedly to secure one, but thus far have failed. I have
inquired at all the best stores on Liu Li Chang, the great curio
street, but they have none, and cannot tell me where I can find
one."
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan: CHARLES. Yes, yes, you are--ha! ha! ha!--you know that mends your
chance.
SIR OLIVER. But I'm told Sir Oliver is coming over; nay, some say
he is actually arrived.
CHARLES. Psha! sure I must know better than you whether he's come or
not. No, no, rely on't he's at this moment at Calcutta. Isn't he,
Moses?
MOSES. Oh, yes, certainly.
SIR OLIVER. Very true, as you say, you must know better than I,
though I have it from pretty good authority. Haven't I, Moses?
MOSES. Yes, most undoubted!
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Island Nights' Entertainments by Robert Louis Stevenson: made my vow I would never let on to weakness with a native, and I
had nothing for it but to stop.
She stood looking gravely down at me where I sat by the open case.
"I think you good man," she said. And suddenly she had fallen
before me on the floor. "I belong you all-e-same pig!" she cried.
CHAPTER II. THE BAN.
I CAME on the verandah just before the sun rose on the morrow. My
house was the last on the east; there was a cape of woods and
cliffs behind that hid the sunrise. To the west, a swift cold
river ran down, and beyond was the green of the village, dotted
with cocoa-palms and breadfruits and houses. The shutters were
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