| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: she picked up a portion of the draft of a letter on business
in Donald Farfrae's writing, which had flown over the wall
from the office. The useless scrap she took indoors, and
began to copy the calligraphy, which she much admired. The
letter began "Dear Sir," and presently writing on a loose
slip "Elizabeth-Jane," she laid the latter over "Sir,"
making the phrase "Dear Elizabeth-Jane." When she saw the
effect a quick red ran up her face and warmed her through,
though nobody was there to see what she had done. She
quickly tore up the slip, and threw it away. After this she
grew cool and laughed at herself, walked about the room, and
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: there are not nearly so many things to see, and we haven't your
country life. I have never seen anything of your country life;
when I am in Europe I am always on the Continent. But I have
heard a great deal about it; I know that when you are among
yourselves in the country you have the most beautiful time.
Of course we have nothing of that sort, we have nothing on
that scale. I don't apologize, Lord Lambeth; some Americans
are always apologizing; you must have noticed that.
We have the reputation of always boasting and bragging and
waving the American flag; but I must say that what strikes me
is that we are perpetually making excuses and trying to smooth
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Whirligigs by O. Henry: thirty thousand profit on this location, if it should hold
good, would be a loss to their expectations. So, while
they chatted lightly and waited for the Commissioner
to open the subject, there was a quick, sidelong sparkle
in their eyes, evincing a desire to read their title clear
to those fair acres on the Chiquito.
A clerk brought in the file. The Commissioner seated
himself and wrote upon it in red ink. Then he rose to
his feet and stood for a while looking straight out of the
window. The Land Office capped the summit of a bold
hill. The eyes of the Commissioner passed over the
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