| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Works of Samuel Johnson by Samuel Johnson: and form plantations with money which once might
have been mine, and I never met my friends but I
spoiled all their merriment by perpetual complaints
of my ill luck.
At length another lottery was opened, and I had
now so heated my imagination with the prospect
of a prize, that I should have pressed among the
first purchasers, had not my ardour been withheld
by deliberation upon the probability of success from
one ticket rather than another. I hesitated long
between even and odd; considered the square and
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Economist by Xenophon: this fact that whichever of us proves the better partner, he or she at
once contributes what is most worth having."
[11] (The timid, fawn-like creature.) See Lecky, "Hist. of Eur.
Morals," ii. 305. For the metaphor cf. Dem. "Olynth." iii. 37. 9.
[12] Lit. "woman." Cf. N. T. {gunai}, St. John ii. 4; xix. 26.
[13] Or, "our interests will centre in them; it will be a blessing we
share in common to train them that they shall fight our battles,
and . . ."
[14] Cf. "Mem." II. ii. 13. Holden cf. Soph. "Ajax." 567; Eur.
"Suppl." 918.
[15] Or reading {epenegke} with Cobet, "brought with you in the way of
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: after an unprosperous marriage, to her father's house, with
the additional burden of two children. She was a clever young woman,
who understood the art of pleasing--the art of pleasing, at least,
at Kellynch Hall; and who had made herself so acceptable to Miss Elliot,
as to have been already staying there more than once, in spite of all
that Lady Russell, who thought it a friendship quite out of place,
could hint of caution and reserve.
Lady Russell, indeed, had scarcely any influence with Elizabeth,
and seemed to love her, rather because she would love her,
than because Elizabeth deserved it. She had never received from her more
than outward attention, nothing beyond the observances of complaisance;
Persuasion |
