| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from What is Man? by Mark Twain: literature. For amusement I scribbled things for the Virginia
City ENTERPRISE. One isn't a printer ten years without setting
up acres of good and bad literature, and learning--unconsciously
at first, consciously later--to discriminate between the two,
within his mental limitations; and meantime he is unconsciously
acquiring what is called a "style." One of my efforts attracted
attention, and the ENTERPRISE sent for me and put me on its staff.
And so I became a journalist--another link. By and by Circumstance
and the Sacramento UNION sent me to the Sandwich Islands for five
or six months, to write up sugar. I did it; and threw in a good
deal of extraneous matter that hadn't anything to do with sugar.
What is Man? |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: worth if it should be known that I've let out her name; but honor
between us two, Marty, and you'll say nothing that would injure
me?"
"I don't wish to tell upon her," said Marty, coolly. "But my hair
is my own, and I'm going to keep it."
"Now, that's not fair, after what I've told you," said the nettled
barber. "You see, Marty, as you are in the same parish, and in
one of her cottages, and your father is ill, and wouldn't like to
turn out, it would be as well to oblige her. I say that as a
friend. But I won't press you to make up your mind to-night.
You'll be coming to market to-morrow, I dare say, and you can call
The Woodlanders |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: Cardinal will not serve an old friend so scurvy a trick.'
'You are to go to him,' he announced, when he came back with the
water.
'What? To the Cardinal?' I cried.
'Yes,' he answered.
'Good!' I exclaimed; and in my joy and relief I sprang up at
once, and began to refresh my dress. 'So all this time I have
been doing him an injustice,' I continued. 'VIVE MONSEIGNEUR!
Long live the little Bishop of Luchon! I might have known it,
too.'
'Don't make too sure!' the man answered spitefully. Then he
|
