| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Records of a Family of Engineers by Robert Louis Stevenson: In yet another way he followed the example of his father-
in-law, and from 1794 to 1807, when the affairs of the Bell
Rock made it necessary for him to resign, he served in
different corps of volunteers. In the last of these he rose
to a position of distinction, no less than captain of the
Grenadier Company, and his colonel, in accepting his
resignation, entreated he would do them `the favour of
continuing as an honorary member of a corps which has been so
much indebted for your zeal and exertions.'
To very pious women the men of the house are apt to
appear worldly. The wife, as she puts on her new bonnet
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: him through the kitchen door, he at once abandoned his idea
of putting up at the house; but taking the situation
lightly, he called for glasses of the best, paid for them as
he stood in the passage, and turned to proceed on his way by
the front door. This was barred, and while the landlady was
unfastening it the conversation about the skimmington was
continued in the sitting-room, and reached his ears.
"What do they mean by a 'skimmity-ride'?" he asked.
"O, sir!" said the landlady, swinging her long earrings with
deprecating modesty; "'tis a' old foolish thing they do in
these parts when a man's wife is--well, not too particularly
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: them infernal clod-hopping, dough-headed, pup-faced, goose-brained,
gate-stealing, rabbit-eared sons of horse thieves have soaked us for
that much?'
"'No less,' says Andy.
"'Then, to Helvetia with philanthropy,' says I.
"'Not necessarily,' says Andy. 'Philanthropy,' says he, 'when run on a
good business basis is one of the best grafts going. I'll look into
the matter and see if it can't be straightened out.'
"The next week I am looking over the payroll of our faculty when I run
across a new name--Professor James Darnley McCorkle, chair of
mathematics; salary $100 per week. I yells so loud that Andy runs in
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