| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: communications which have been addressed to the Chair--if any--shall
have been read.' The other is marked 'THE TEST.' Allow me. It is
worded--to wit:
"'I do not require that the first half of the remark which was made
to me by my benefactor shall be quoted with exactness, for it was
not striking, and could be forgotten; but its closing fifteen words
are quite striking, and I think easily rememberable; unless THESE
shall be accurately reproduced, let the applicant be regarded as an
impostor. My benefactor began by saying he seldom gave advice to
anyone, but that it always bore the hallmark of high value when he
did give it. Then he said this--and it has never faded from my
 The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum: they sailed away, but he didn't care to ride in one.
Santa Claus decided to go next. He thanked Ozma for her hospitality
and wished her many happy returns of the day. Then the Wizard blew a
bubble around his chubby little body and smaller bubbles around each
of his Ryls and Knooks.
As the kind and generous friend of children mounted into the air the
people all cheered at the top of their voices, for they loved Santa
Claus dearly; and the little man heard them through the walls of his
bubble and waved his hands in return as he smiled down upon them. The
band played bravely while every one watched the bubble until it was
completely out of sight.
 The Road to Oz |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: X
Concha had eaten no supper. As she entered the
sala she clapped her hands, the guests ranged
themselves against the wall, the musicians, livelier
than ever, flew to their instruments; with the drift-
ing, swaying movement she could assume at will,
she went slowly, absently, to the middle of the room.
Then she let her head drop backward, as if with
the weight of her hair, and Rezanov, vaguely angry,
expected one of those appeals to the senses for
which Spanish women of another sort were
 Rezanov |