| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: universe--how impossible! But, apart from transcendentalism, there
never probably lived a person who was in herself more completely a
reductio ad absurdum of attempts to appraise a woman, even
externally, by items of face and figure. Speaking generally, it
may be said that she was sometimes beautiful, at other times not
beautiful, according to the state of her health and spirits.
In simple corporeal presentment she was of a fair and clear
complexion, rather pale than pink, slim in build and elastic in
movement. Her look expressed a tendency to wait for others'
thoughts before uttering her own; possibly also to wait for
others' deeds before her own doing. In her small, delicate mouth,
The Woodlanders |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Jolly Corner by Henry James: time, to look far down - not deterred from his gravity even while
aware that he might, for a spectator, have figured some solemn
simpleton playing at hide-and-seek. Outside in fact he might
himself make that ironic RAPPROCHEMENT; but within the walls, and
in spite of the clear windows, his consistency was proof against
the cynical light of New York.
It had belonged to that idea of the exasperated consciousness of
his victim to become a real test for him; since he had quite put it
to himself from the first that, oh distinctly! he could "cultivate"
his whole perception. He had felt it as above all open to
cultivation - which indeed was but another name for his manner of
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: convinced that his own deceptions would certainly be run to
earth.
"I HAVE to spy upon her," answered Alfred, "in self-defence.
It's the only way I can keep her from making me utterly
ridiculous." And he proceeded to read from the secretary's
telegram. " 'Shopped all morning. Lunched at Martingale's with
man and woman unknown to me--Martingale's,' " he repeated with a
sneer-- " 'Motored through Park with Mrs. Wilmer until five.'
Mrs. Wilmer," he exclaimed, "there's a woman I've positively
forbidden her to speak to."
Jimmy only shook his head and Alfred continued to read.
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