| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Black Dwarf by Walter Scott: blaw on."
Hobbie turned from the one to the other, regarding them
alternately with a frown on his brow, the augury of which was
confuted by the good-humoured laugh on the lower part of his
countenance. He then strove to propitiate them, by mentioning
the intended present of his companion.
"In my young days," said the old lady, "a man wad hae been
ashamed to come back frae the hill without a buck hanging on each
side o' his horse, like a cadger carrying calves."
"I wish they had left some for us then, grannie," retorted
Hobbie; "they've cleared the country o' them, thae auld friends
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Enemies of Books by William Blades: of Parish Registers,
Mr. Noble, who has had great experience in such matters, writes:--
"A few months ago I wanted a search made of the time of Charles I in one
of the most interesting registers in a large town (which shall be nameless)
in England. I wrote to the custodian of it, and asked him kindly to do
the search for me, and if he was unable to read the names to get some one
who understood the writing of that date to decipher the entries for me.
I did not have a reply for a fortnight, but one morning the postman brought
me a very large unregistered book-packet, which I found to be the original
Parish Registers! He, however, addressed a note with it stating that
he thought it best to send me the document itself to look at, and begged
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table by Oliver Wendell Holmes: certain things, which seem to me essential to a millennium, had
come to pass, I should have been frightened; but they haven't.
Perhaps you would like to hear my
LATTER-DAY WARNINGS.
When legislators keep the law,
When banks dispense with bolts and locks,
When berries, whortle - rasp - and straw -
Grow bigger DOWNWARDS through the box, -
When he that selleth house or land
Shows leak in roof or flaw in right, -
When haberdashers choose the stand
The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table |
