| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: lived so long by the heavens, that's unhandsomely done. Hist,
Hist, says another rogue that stood by him, away Doctor, in your
flannel gear as fast as you can, for here's a whole pack of
dismals coming to you with their black equipage, and how indecent
will it look for you to stand fright'ning folks at your window,
when you should have been in your coffin this three hours? In
short, what with undertakers, imbalmers, joiners, sextons, and
your damn'd elegy hawkers, upon a late practitioner in physick
and astrology, I got not one wink of sleep that night, nor scarce
a moment's rest ever since. Now I doubt not but this villainous
'squire has the impudence to assert, that these are entirely
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rinehart: Wilson. I will never go near her again."
"What did you do? Poison her?" Dallas asked with interest.
"G--got camphor in her eyes," snuffed Betty. "You never--heard
such a noise. I wouldn't be a trained nurse for anything in the
world. She--she called me a hussy!"
"You're not going to give her up, are you, Betty?" Jim asked
imploringly. But Betty was, and said so plainly.
"Anyhow, she won't have me back," she finished, "and she has sent
for--guess!"
"Have mercy!" Dal cried, dropping to his knees. "Oh, fair
ministering angel, she has not sent for me!"
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: in time for Gordon's wedding, which took place at midsummer.
Bernard, arriving late in the autumn, found his friend
a married man of some months' standing, and was able to judge,
according to his invitation, whether he appeared happy.
The first effect of the letter I have just quoted had been
an immense surprise; the second had been a series of reflections
which were quite the negative of surprise; and these operations
of Bernard's mind had finally merged themselves in a simple
sentiment of jollity. He was delighted that Gordon should
be married; he felt jovial about it; he was almost indifferent
to the question of whom he had chosen. Certainly, at first,
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