| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: the driver protested loudly. The man had thrown something, which
turned out to be a bottle. This twisted loftily and dived into
the stream. He said something more to the driver, then put his
hand on the saddle-horn, looked half-lingeringly at the passenger
on the bank, dropped his grave eyes from hers, and swinging upon
his horse, was gone just as the passenger opened her mouth and
with inefficient voice murmured, "Oh, thank you!" at his
departing back.
The driver drove up now, a chastened creature. He helped Miss
Wood in, and inquired after her welfare with a hanging head; then
meek as his own drenched horses, he climbed back to his reins,
The Virginian |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: "A good fellow!" repeated Longueville. "I don't understand your
confounded scientific nomenclature. But excuse me; I won't laugh.
I am not a clever fellow; but I am a good one." He paused a moment,
and then laid his hand on his companion's shoulder. "My dear Gordon,
it 's no use; you are in love."
"Well, I don't want to be," said Wright.
"Heavens, what a horrible sentiment!"
"I want to marry with my eyes open. I want to know my wife.
You don't know people when you are in love with them.
Your impressions are colored."
"They are supposed to be, slightly. And you object to color?"
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde: Prince.
"I am come to bid you good-bye," he cried.
"Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not
stay with me one night longer?"
"It is winter," answered the Swallow, "and the chill snow will soon
be here. In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm-trees, and the
crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazily about them. My
companions are building a nest in the Temple of Baalbec, and the
pink and white doves are watching them, and cooing to each other.
Dear Prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you, and
next spring I will bring you back two beautiful jewels in place of
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