| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: of the Union delegates; and although he had escaped himself through
flush times and starvation times with a handsomely provided purse, he
had so little faith in either man or master, and so profound a terror
for the unerring Nemesis of mercantile affairs, that he could think
of no hope for our country outside of a sudden and complete political
subversion. Down must go Lords and Church and Army; and capital, by
some happy direction, must change hands from worse to better, or
England stood condemned. Such principles, he said, were growing
'like a seed.'
From this mild, soft, domestic man, these words sounded unusually
ominous and grave. I had heard enough revolutionary talk among my
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: "It is probable," commented the New Fork Herald, "that the extreme
rapidity of motion destroys the weight."
Naturally there were protests from all sides. It was impossible to
permit the mad speed of this apparition which threatened to overthrow
and destroy everything in its passage, equipages and people. But how
could it be stopped? No one knew to whom the vehicle belonged, nor
whence it came, nor whither it went. It was seen but for an instant
as it darted forward like a bullet in its dizzy flight. How could one
seize a cannon-ball in the air, as it leaped from the mouth of the
gun?
I repeat, there was no evidence as to the character of the propelling
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: missed. It was so dark we could not see each other's
faces within a foot--you understand.
"After that thump the ship kept quiet for a while,
and the thing, whatever it was, struck my leg again.
This time I caught it--and it was a sauce-pan. At first,
being stupid with fatigue and thinking of nothing but
the pumps, I did not understand what I had in my hand.
Suddenly it dawned upon me, and I shouted, 'Boys, the
house on deck is gone. Leave this, and let's look for the
cook.'
"There was a deck-house forward, which contained
Youth |
