| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad: thing to-morrow morning," as the case may be. For the chief mate
is the keeper of the ship's anchors and the guardian of her cable.
There are good ships and bad ships, comfortable ships and ships
where, from first day to last of the voyage, there is no rest for a
chief mate's body and soul. And ships are what men make them:
this is a pronouncement of sailor wisdom, and, no doubt, in the
main it is true.
However, there are ships where, as an old grizzled mate once told
me, "nothing ever seems to go right!" And, looking from the poop
where we both stood (I had paid him a neighbourly call in dock), he
added: "She's one of them." He glanced up at my face, which
The Mirror of the Sea |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: in a little, light, conciliating voice, and graciously accepting
the drawing again.
"I will admit," said Longueville, "that I am very inconsistent.
Set it down to my esteem, madam," he added, looking at the mother.
"That 's for you, mamma," said his model, disengaging her arm
from her mother's hand and turning away.
The mamma stood looking at the sketch with a smile which seemed to express
a tender desire to reconcile all accidents.
"It 's extremely beautiful," she murmured, "and if you insist
on my taking it--"
"I shall regard it as a great honor."
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: are amusing?" He stepped under the awning for the second time,
and again in view of all thrust Andre-Louis rudely back.
"Ahi!" cried Andre-Louis, with a grimace. "You hurt me, monsieur.
I have told you not to push against me." He raised his voice that
all might hear him, and once more impelled M. de Chabrillane back
into the rain.
Now, for all his slenderness, his assiduous daily sword-practice
had given Andre-Louis an arm of iron. Also he threw his weight
into the thrust. His assailant reeled backwards a few steps, and
then his heel struck a baulk of timber left on the ground by some
workmen that morning, and he sat down suddenly in the mud.
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