| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: they were done by. The sufficiency of these excuses may be left to
the discretion of the reader. But, however excused, the breach of
faith was public and express; it must have been deliberately
predetermined and it was resented in the States as a deliberate
insult.
By the middle of August 1887 there were five sail of German war-
ships in Apia bay: the BISMARCK, of 3000 tons displacement; the
CAROLA, the SOPHIE, and the OLGA, all considerable ships; and the
beautiful ADLER, which lies there to this day, kanted on her beam,
dismantled, scarlet with rust, the day showing through her ribs.
They waited inactive, as a burglar waits till the patrol goes by.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson: was beginning to decay, I resolved to close my life in peace,
having found the world full of snares, discord, and misery. I had
once escaped from the pursuit of the enemy by the shelter of this
cavern, and therefore chose it for my final residence. I employed
artificers to form it into chambers, and stored it with all that I
was likely to want.
"For some time after my retreat I rejoiced like a tempest-beaten
sailor at his entrance into the harbour, being delighted with the
sudden change of the noise and hurry of war to stillness and
repose. When the pleasure of novelty went away, I employed my
hours in examining the plants which grow in the valley, and the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: with the Trout; for after he is come to his full growth, he declines in his
body, and keeps his bigness, or thrives only in his head till his death.
And you are to know, that he will, about, especially before, the time of
his spawning, get, almost miraculously, through weirs and flood-gates,
against the stream; even through such high and swift places as is almost
incredible. Next, that the Trout usually spawns about October or
November, but in some rivers a little sooner or later; which is the more
observable, because most other fish spawn in the spring or summer,
when the sun hath warmed both the earth and water, and made it fit for
generation. And you are to note, that he continues many months out of
season; for it may be observed of the Trout, that he is like the Buck or
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