| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Letters from England by Elizabeth Davis Bancroft: crowned girl of five or six, as the NEW YEAR. It was charming, and
I was so pleased that, instead of taking Louisa away at nine o'clock
as I intended, I left her to see "Sir Roger de Coverly," in the
dress of his time.
Last night at Mr. Putnam's, I met William and Mary Howitt, and some
of the lesser lights. I have put down my pen to answer a note, just
brought in, to dine next Thursday with the Dowager Countess of
Charleville, where we were last week, in the evening. She is
eighty-four (tell this to Grandmamma) and likes still to surround
herself with BEAUX and BELLES ESPRITS, and as her son and daughter
reside with her, this is still easy . . . The old lady talks French
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: around him awaited their coming, reclined upon a grassy sward.
Pharnabazus presently arrived clad in costliest apparel; but just as
his attendants were about to spread at his feet the carpets on which
the Persians delicately seat themselves, he was touched with a sense
of shame at his own luxury in sight of the simplicity of Agesilaus,
and he also without further ceremony seated himself on the bare
ground. And first the two bade one another hail, and then Pharnabazus
stretched out his right hand and Agesilaus his to meet him, and the
conversation began. Pharnabazus, as the elder of the two, spoke first.
"Agesilaus," he said, "and all you Lacedaemonians here present, while
you were at war with the Athenians I was your friend and ally; it was
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: right in his conjectures.
An extremely narrow passage led aside out of the pit.
He had to stoop to look into it, and only by creeping could it
be followed; but as he wanted to see in which direction it led,
and whether another abyss opened from it, he lay down on the ground
and began to enter it on hands and knees.
An obstacle speedily arrested his progress. He fancied he could
perceive by touching it, that a human body lay across the passage.
A sudden thrill of horror and surprise made him hastily draw back,
but he again advanced and felt more carefully.
His senses had not deceived him; a body did indeed lie there;
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