| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: thought that it would become worse.
At the news of the disaster Carthage had leaped, as it were, with
anger and hate; the Suffet would have been less execrated if he had
allowed himself to be conquered from the first.
But time and money were lacking for the hire of other Mercenaries. As
to a levy of soldiers in the town, how were they to be equipped?
Hamilcar had taken all the arms! and then who was to command them? The
best captains were down yonder with him! Meanwhile, some men
despatched by the Suffet arrived in the streets with shouts. The Great
Council were roused by them, and contrived to make them disappear.
It was an unnecessary precaution; every one accused Barca of having
Salammbo |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: the persons who awaited him.
"Don't laugh, Gazonal," said Leon as they reached the foot of the
staircase, whence his eye could take in the whole of the Place de la
Bourse. "I see over there one of our great men, and you shall compare
his language with that of the barber, and tell me which of the two you
think the most original."
"Don't laugh, Gazonal," said Bixiou, mimicking Leon's intonation.
"What do you suppose is Marius's business?"
"Hair-dressing."
"He has obtained a monopoly of the sale of hair in bulk, as a certain
dealer in comestibles who is going to sell us a pate for three francs
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: but here, with a solid subsoil, the Gallians might hope to dig down
a hundred feet or so and secure for themselves a shelter that would
enable them to brave the hardest severity of climate.
The order, then, was at once given. The work was commenced.
A stock of shovels, mattocks, and pick-axes was brought from
the gourbi, and with Ben Zoof as overseer, both Spanish majos
and Russian sailors set to work with a will.
It was not long, however, before a discovery, more unexpected than agreeable,
suddenly arrested their labors. The spot chosen for the excavation was
a little to the right of the gourbi, on a slight elevation of the soil.
For the first day everything went on prosperously enough; but at a depth of
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