| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Horse's Tale by Mark Twain: "Every Saturday she hires little Injuns to garrison her fort; then
she lays siege to it, and makes military approaches by make-believe
trenches in make-believe night, and finally at make-believe dawn
she draws her sword and sounds the assault and takes it by storm.
It is for practice. And she has invented a bugle-call all by
herself, out of her own head, and it's a stirring one, and the
prettiest in the service. It's to call ME - it's never used for
anything else. She taught it to me, and told me what it says: 'IT
IS I, SOLDIER - COME!' and when those thrilling notes come floating
down the distance I hear them without fail, even if I am two miles
away; and then - oh, then you should see my heels get down to
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Battle of the Books by Jonathan Swift: usual custom to counterfeit and adulterate whatever is too dear for
us, so we have done with this, and turned it all into what is
generally called repartee, or being smart; just as when an
expensive fashion cometh up, those who are not able to reach it
content themselves with some paltry imitation. It now passeth for
raillery to run a man down in discourse, to put him out of
countenance, and make him ridiculous, sometimes to expose the
defects of his person or understanding; on all which occasions he
is obliged not to be angry, to avoid the imputation of not being
able to take a jest. It is admirable to observe one who is
dexterous at this art, singling out a weak adversary, getting the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lin McLean by Owen Wister: "I wonder," said he, aloud, "if she keeps the rust off mine?" Then he
lifted it slowly to his lips and kissed the word "Neighbor."
The clank of wheels sounded on the road, and he put the pistol quickly
down. Dreaminess vanished from his face. He looked around alertly, but no
one had seen him. The clanking was still among the trees a little
distance up Box Elder. It approached deliberately, while he watched for
the vehicle to emerge upon the open where his cabin stood; and then they
came, a man and a woman. At sight of her Mr. McLean half rose, but sat
down again. Neither of them had noticed him, sitting as they were in
silence and the drowsiness of a long drive. The man was weak-faced, with
good looks sallowed by dissipation, and a vanquished glance of the eye.
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