| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: must be!" cried I.
"Oh, the Alexandrian manuscripts were nothing to it!" said my
friend. "Well, another gentleman is just giving up business, on
purpose, I verily believe, to escape publishing my book. Several,
however, would not absolutely decline the agency, on my advancing
half the cost of an edition, and giving bonds for the remainder,
besides a high percentage to themselves, whether the book sells
or not. Another advises a subscription."
"The villain!" exclaimed I.
"A fact!" said Oberon. "In short, of all the seventeen
booksellers, only one has vouchsafed even to read my tales; and
The Snow Image |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Alcibiades I by Plato: she not be amazed, and ask 'On what, then, does the youth rely?' And if we
replied: He relies on his beauty, and stature, and birth, and mental
endowments, she would think that we were mad, Alcibiades, when she compared
the advantages which you possess with those of her own people. And I
believe that even Lampido, the daughter of Leotychides, the wife of
Archidamus and mother of Agis, all of whom were kings, would have the same
feeling; if, in your present uneducated state, you were to turn your
thoughts against her son, she too would be equally astonished. But how
disgraceful, that we should not have as high a notion of what is required
in us as our enemies' wives and mothers have of the qualities which are
required in their assailants! O my friend, be persuaded by me, and hear
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: made it clear that they were not to be lax in their vigilance. Then,
without a word to Dick or me, he rode down the gorge and disappeared behind
a corner of yellow wall.
Bill untied the rope that held Dick's arms, but left his feet bound. I was
freed entirely, and it felt so good to have the use of all my limbs once
more that I pranced round in a rather lively way. Either my antics annoyed
Herky-Jerky or he thought it a good opportunity to show his skill with a
lasso, for he shot the loop over me so hard that it stung my back.
"I'm all there as a roper!" he said, pulling the lasso tight round my
middle. The men all laughed as I tumbled over in the gravel.
"Better keep a half-hitch on the colt," remarked Bud.
The Young Forester |
