| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: out of pity to the weakness of human nature, which in
characters like this, so worthy and in so many ways disposed
to virtue, cannot maintain its honors unblemished by some
envious fault.
The Achaeans meeting again in assembly at Argos, and
Cleomenes having come from Tegea, there were great hopes that
all differences would be composed. But Aratus, Antigonus and
he having already agreed upon the chief articles of their
league, fearing that Cleomenes would carry all before him,
and either win or force the multitude to comply with his
demands, proposed, that having three hundred hostages put
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: "Quite sure?" The other man in brown glanced meaningly down at
his hand, and Mr. Hoopdriver, following him mechanically, saw a
yellow milled edge glittering in the twilight. Now your shop
assistant is just above the tip-receiving class, and only just
above it--so that he is acutely sensitive on the point.
Mr. Hoopdriver flushed hotly, and his eyes were angry as he met
those of the other man in brown. "Stow it!" said Mr. Hoopdriver,
stopping and facing the tempter.
"What!" said the other man in brown, surprised. "Eigh?" And so
saying he stowed it in his breeches pocket.
"D'yer think I'm to be bribed?" said Mr. Hoopdriver, whose
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: Suke Damson, and others, looked knowing, and made remarks to each
other as they watched its entrance. Melbury stood at the door of
the timber-shed in the attitude of a man to whom such an arrival
was a trifling domestic detail with which he did not condescend to
be concerned. Yet he well divined the contents of that box, and
was in truth all the while in a pleasant exaltation at the proof
that thus far, at any rate, no disappointment had supervened.
While Mrs. Dollery remained--which was rather long, from her sense
of the importance of her errand--he went into the out-house; but
as soon as she had had her say, been paid, and had rumbled away,
he entered the dwelling, to find there what he knew he should
The Woodlanders |
