| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: the Live Oaks excursion boat, knowing quite well in my heart that some
decidedly different question concerning me had been hastily dropped upon
my appearance at the door. It poked up its little concealed head, did
this question, when the bride said later to me, with immense archness:--
"How any gentleman can help falling just daid in love with that lovely
young girl at the Exchange, I don't see!"
"But I haven't helped it!" I immediately exclaimed.
"Oh!" declared the bride with unerring perception, "that just shows he
hasn't been smitten at all! Well, I'd be ashamed, if I was a single
gentleman." And while I brought forth additional phrases concerning the
distracted state of my heart, she looked at me with large, limpid eyes.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen: to be nearer her uncle; "I must get up and breakfast with him.
It will be the last time, you know; the last morning."
"You had better not. He is to have breakfasted and be
gone by half-past nine. Mr. Crawford, I think you call
for him at half-past nine?"
Fanny was too urgent, however, and had too many tears in her
eyes for denial; and it ended in a gracious "Well, well!"
which was permission.
"Yes, half-past nine," said Crawford to William as the
latter was leaving them, "and I shall be punctual,
for there will be no kind sister to get up for _me_."
Mansfield Park |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lucile by Owen Meredith: Had scrambled again to his feet; and now master
And horse bore about them the signs of disaster,
As they heavily footed their way through the mist,
The horse with his shoulder, the Duke with his wrist,
Bruised and bleeding.
XIX.
If ever your feet, like my own,
O reader, have traversed these mountains alone,
Have you felt your identity shrink and contract
At the sound of the distant and dim cataract,
In the presence of nature's immensities? Say,
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