| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: nearer at hand. The cave of Aeolus became their ideal of comfort,
and they wondered where the Americans went when they wished to cool off.
They had not the least idea, and they determined to apply for information
to Mr. J. L. Westgate. This was the name inscribed in a bold hand on the back
of a letter carefully preserved in the pocketbook of our junior traveler.
Beneath the address, in the left-hand corner of the envelope,
were the words, "Introducing Lord Lambeth and Percy Beaumont, Esq."
The letter had been given to the two Englishmen by a good friend
of theirs in London, who had been in America two years previously,
and had singled out Mr. J. L. Westgate from the many friends
he had left there as the consignee, as it were, of his compatriots.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: difficult and very obscure. Louis found the king of England
seated in the same place where he had left him. On
perceiving him, the English prince arose; but at the first
glance he saw discouragement written in dark letters upon
his cousin's brow. Then, speaking first, as if to facilitate
the painful avowal that Louis had to make to him, --
"Whatever it may be," said he, "I shall never forget all the
kindness, all the friendship you have exhibited towards me."
"Alas!" replied Louis, in a melancholy tone, "only barren
good-will, my brother."
Charles II. became extremely pale; he passed his cold hand
 Ten Years Later |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Before Adam by Jack London: eggshells. He was too much for them, and they were
compelled to fall back again. This was his chance, and
he turned his back upon them and ran for it, still
howling wrathfully. A few arrows sped after him, but
he plunged into a thicket and was gone.
The Swift One and I crept quietly away, only to run
foul of another party of Fire-Men. They chased us into
the blueberry swamp, but we knew the tree-paths across
the farther morasses where they could not follow on the
ground, and so we escaped. We came out on the other
side into a narrow strip of forest that separated the
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