| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: acquainted with his roads and one who is not; and when it comes to
actual designs upon the enemy, the difference between knowing and not
knowing the locality can hardly be exaggerated.
[8] Or, "with hostile and friendly territories alike."
[9] Lit. "he should associate with himself those of the rest"; i.e.
his colleagues or other members of the force.
So, too, with regard to spies and intelligencers. Before war commences
your business is to provide yourself with a supply of people friendly
to both states, or maybe merchants (since states are ready to receive
the importer of goods with open arms); sham deserters may be found
occasionally useful.[10] Not, of course, that the confidence you feel
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain: to the shop when we said the water wasn't quite fine
enough for twelve thousand dollars."
"Twelve-thousand-dollars!" Tom says. "Was they really
worth all that money, do you reckon?"
"Every cent of it."
"And you fellows got away with them?"
"As easy as nothing. I don't reckon the julery people know
they've been robbed yet. But it wouldn't be good sense
to stay around St. Louis, of course, so we considered where
we'd go. One was for going one way, one another, so we
throwed up, heads or tails, and the Upper Mississippi won.
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: touch upon another matter: what was the income of the
Reverend Bernard Fanshawe?'
'My father?' asked the spirited old lady. 'I believe he had
seven hundred pounds in the year.'
'You were one, I think, of several?' pursued the Prince.
'Of four,' was the reply. 'We were four daughters; and
painful as the admission is to make, a more detestable family
could scarce be found in England.'
'Dear me!' said the Prince. 'And you, madam, have an income
of eight thousand?'
'Not more than five,' returned the old lady; 'but where on
|