| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lin McLean by Owen Wister: indignant McLean surmised. Had I taken the same interest in the new girl,
I suppose that I too should have felt virtuously indignant.
Lin and I stood outside to receive the travellers. As their cavalcade
drew near, Mr. McLean grew silent and watchful, his whole attention
focused upon the Taylors' vehicle. Its approach was joyous. Its gear made
a cheerful clanking, Taylor cracked his whip and encouragingly chirruped
to his buckskins, and Tommy's apparatus jingled musically. For Tommy wore
upon himself and his saddle all the things you can wear in the Wild West.
Except that his hair was not long, our postmaster might have conducted a
show and minted gold by exhibiting his romantic person before the eyes of
princes. He began with a black-and-yellow rattlesnake skin for a
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Atheist's Mass by Honore de Balzac: the greatest exertions of science, he succumbed. No king was ever
nursed as he was. Yes, Bianchon, to snatch that man from death I
tried unheard-of things. I wanted him to live long enough to show
him his work accomplished, to realize all his hopes, to give
expression to the only need for gratitude that ever filled my
heart, to quench a fire that burns in me to this day.
"Bourgeat, my second father, died in my arms," Desplein went on,
after a pause, visibly moved. "He left me everything he possessed
by a will he had had made by a public scrivener, dating from the
year when we had gone to live in the Cour de Rohan.
"This man's faith was perfect; he loved the Holy Virgin as he
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: never read it. He never shall read it. [Going to fireplace.] It
should never have been written. [Tears it and throws it into the
fire.]
LADY WINDERMERE. [With infinite contempt in her voice and look.]
How do I know that that was my letter after all? You seem to think
the commonest device can take me in!
MRS. ERLYNNE. Oh! why do you disbelieve everything I tell you?
What object do you think I have in coming here, except to save you
from utter ruin, to save you from the consequence of a hideous
mistake? That letter that is burnt now WAS your letter. I swear
it to you!
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