| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mansion by Henry van Dyke: the well-established, organized ones here at home, where people
can
see them and know what they are doing."
"You mean the ones that have a local habitation and a name."
"Yes; they offer by far the safest return, though of course there
is
something gained by contributing to general funds. A public man
can't afford to be without public spirit. But on the whole
I prefer a building, or an endowment. There is a mutual
advantage to
a good name and a good institution in their connection in the
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Plain Tales from the Hills by Rudyard Kipling: at Pooree ages since--the manner of its making would fill a small
book--was stolen by one of the Temple dancing-girls there, for her
own purposes, and then passed on from hand to hand, steadily
northward, till it reached Hanla: always bearing the same name--the
Bisara of Pooree. In shape it is a tiny, square box of silver,
studded outside with eight small balas-rubies. Inside the box,
which opens with a spring, is a little eyeless fish, carved from
some sort of dark, shiny nut and wrapped in a shred of faded gold-
cloth. That is the Bisara of Pooree, and it were better for a man
to take a king cobra in his hand than to touch the Bisara of Pooree.
All kinds of magic are out of date and done away with except in
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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: and dressed himself, and went up to the barn.
"He worked there all day long, till sunset, and at sunset the
Miller came to see how he was getting on.
"'Have you mended the hole in the roof yet, little Hans?' cried the
Miller in a cheery voice.
"'It is quite mended,' answered little Hans, coming down the
ladder.
"'Ah'! said the Miller, 'there is no work so delightful as the work
one does for others.'
"'It is certainly a great privilege to hear you talk,' answered
little Hans, sitting down, and wiping his forehead, 'a very great
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