| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: that empire which in former days had dared to march on Hellas;--at
such a moment suffered himself not to be overmastered by these
promptings, but on receipt of a summons of the home authorities to
come to the assistance of the fatherland, obeyed the mandate of his
state as readily[15] as though he stood confronted face to face with
the Five in the hall of ephors; and thus gave clear proof that he
would not accept the whole earth in exchange for the land of his
fathers, nor newly-acquired in place of ancient friends, nor base
gains ingloriously purchased rather than the perilous pursuit of
honour and uprightness.[16]
[15] Cf. Hor. "Od." III. v. 50.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "I remember that you said so." Her tone was quietly insulting, and
I bit my lip at having been caught. It was no time to make a defense.
"You have missed one calculation," I said coldly, "and that is, the
discovery of the man who left the train."
"You have found him?" She bent forward, and again I regretted my
hasty speech. "I knew it; I said so."
"We are going to find him," I asserted, with a confidence I did not
feel. "We can produce at any time proof that a man left the Flier
a few miles beyond the wreck. And we can find him, I am positive."
"But you have not found him yet?" She was clearly disappointed.
"Well, so be it. Now for our bargain. You will admit that I am no
The Man in Lower Ten |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: turning to Beaumont with her bright expository air, "must buy
something every day of her life. If she can not do it herself,
she must send out some member of her family for the purpose.
So Bessie goes forth to fulfill my mission."
The young girl had walked away, with Lord Lambeth by her side,
to whom she was talking still; and Percy Beaumont watched them
as they passed toward the house. "She fulfills her own mission,"
he presently said; "that of being a very attractive young lady."
"I don't know that I should say very attractive," Mrs. Westgate rejoined.
"She is not so much that as she is charming when you really know her.
She is very shy."
|
