| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: bad tea, too. It was quite undrinkable. I wasn't at all
surprised. Her own son-in-law supplies it. Agatha is looking
forward so much to your ball to-night, dear Margaret.
LADY WINDERMERE. [Seated L.C.] Oh, you mustn't think it is going
to be a ball, Duchess. It is only a dance in honour of my
birthday. A small and early.
LORD DARLINGTON. [Standing L.C.] Very small, very early, and very
select, Duchess.
DUCHESS OF BERWICK. [On sofa L.] Of course it's going to be
select. But we know THAT, dear Margaret, about YOUR house. It is
really one of the few houses in London where I can take Agatha, and
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey: the insidious phantom. He kept telling himself that it was just
imagination, that it would wear off in time. Still in his heart
he did not believe what he hoped. But he would not give up; he
would not accept the ghost of his victim as a reality.
Gray dawn found him in the saddle again headed for the river.
Half an hour of riding brought him to the dense chaparral and
willow thickets. These he threaded to come at length to the
ford. It was a gravel bottom, and therefore an easy crossing.
Once upon the opposite shore he reined in his horse and looked
darkly back. This action marked his acknowledgment of his
situation: he had voluntarily sought the refuge of the outlaws;
The Lone Star Ranger |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Shadow Line by Joseph Conrad: I ought to shut up that moralist; and to him
aloud I said with challenging politeness:
"Why . . . ? Do you disapprove?"
He was too disconcerted to do more than mutter
confusedly: "I! . . . In a general way.
. . ." and then gave me up. But he retired in
good order, under the cover of a heavily humorous
remark that he, too, was getting soft, and that this
was his time for taking his little siesta--when he
was on shore. "Very bad habit. Very bad
habit."
The Shadow Line |
