| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne: in the autumn, what can be pleasanter than to spend a whole day
on the sunny side of a barn or a wood-pile, chatting with somebody
as old as one's self; or, perhaps, idling away the time with a
natural-born simpleton, who knows how to be idle, because even
our busy Yankees never have found out how to put him to any use?
Upon my word, Miss Hepzibah, I doubt whether I've ever been so
comfortable as I mean to be at my farm, which most folks call
the workhouse. But you,--you're a young woman yet,--you never
need go there! Something still better will turn up for you.
I'm sure of it!"
Hepzibah fancied that there was something peculiar in her
House of Seven Gables |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Lemorne Versus Huell by Elizabeth Drew Stoddard: perceive, however, that they watched each other in spite of their
lively conversation. To me he was deferential, but went over the
ground of our acquaintance as if it had been the most natural thing
in the world. But for my life-long habit of never calling in
question the behavior of those I came in contact with, and of never
expecting any thing different from that I received, I might have
wondered over his visit. Every person's individuality was sacred to
me, from the fact, perhaps, that my own individuality had never
been respected by any person with whom I had any relation--not even
by my own mother.
After Mr. Uxbridge went, I asked Aunt Eliza if she thought he
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: tone.
She held his gaze, but her color deepened. He noticed again, with
a jealous pang, how her beauty had gained in warmth and meaning.
It was as though a transparent cup had been filled with wine. He
looked at her ironically.
"I've never prevented your seeing your friends here," he broke
out. "Why do you meet Flamel in out-of-the-way places? Nothing
makes a woman so cheap--"
She rose abruptly and they faced each other a few feet apart.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I saw you with him last Sunday on the Riverside Drive," he went
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