| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Cousin Pons by Honore de Balzac: "Our poor patient is struggling in the grasp of death," he said. "All
will be over in a few hours. You will send a priest, no doubt, to
watch to-night. But it is time that Mme. Cantinet came, as well as a
woman to do the work, for M. Schmucke is quite unfit to think of
anything: I am afraid for his reason; and there are valuables here
which ought to be in the custody of honest persons."
The Abbe Duplanty, a kindly, upright priest, guileless and
unsuspicious, was struck with the truth of Dr. Poulain's remarks. He
had, moreover, a certain belief in the doctor of the quarter. So on
the threshold of the death-chamber he stopped and beckoned to
Schmucke, but Schmucke could not bring himself to loosen the grasp of
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from 1492 by Mary Johntson: above us, the brilliant small lizards darted around silver
trunks. ``The fairest day!'' quoth the Admiral. ``Ease
at heart! I feel ease at heart.''
This night, as I sat beside him, wiling him to sleep, for
he always had trouble sleeping--a most wakeful man!--
he talked to me about the Queen. Toward this great woman
he ever showed veneration, piety, and knightly regard. Of
all in Spain she it was who best understood and shared that
religious part in him that breathed upward, inspired, longed
and strained toward worlds truly not on the earthly map.
She, like him--or so took leave to think Juan Lepe--received
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: country labourers with their flocks and herds would greatly benefit, a
benefit not limited to your demesne, but shared by every farm
throughout the rural district.
Again, these mercenaries, if set to guard strategic points,[5] would
leave the citizens full leisure to attend to matters of more private
interest.
[5] Or, "as garrisons of critical positions," like Phyle or Decelia
near Athens.
And again, a further function: Can you conceive a service better
qualified to gain intelligence beforehand and to hinder the secret
sudden onslaughts of a hostile force, than a set of troopers always
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