| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: enough to admit the body of a man, and then came dropping down upon
the floor, one after another, until the cell was full. They caught
him up among them, handed him to the window, and those who stood
upon the ladders passed him down upon the pavement of the yard.
Then the rest came out, one after another, and, bidding him fly,
and lose no time, or the way would be choked up, hurried away to
rescue others.
It seemed not a minute's work from first to last. He staggered to
his feet, incredulous of what had happened, when the yard was
filled again, and a crowd rushed on, hurrying Barnaby among them.
In another minute--not so much: another minute! the same instant,
Barnaby Rudge |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: arrived from the China Seas the following letter containing the first
news of his patron and friend, Charles Mignon:--
To Monsieur Jean Dumay:
My Dear Dumay,--I shall quickly follow, barring the chances of the
voyage, the vessel which carries this letter. In fact, I should
have taken it, but I did not wish to leave my own ship to which I
am accustomed.
I told you that no new was to be good news. But the first words of
this letter ought to make you a happy man. I have made seven
millions at the least. I am bringing back a large part of it in
indigo, one third in safe London securities, and another third in
Modeste Mignon |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Complete Poems of Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: As a hostage for his people.
With his prisoner-string he bound him,
Led him captive to his wigwam,
Tied him fast with cords of elm-bark
To the ridge-pole of his wigwam.
"Kahgahgee, my raven!" said he,
"You the leader of the robbers,
You the plotter of this mischief,
The contriver of this outrage,
I will keep you, I will hold you,
As a hostage for your people,
|
