| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: "We may treat it as a joke," said he, at last,
recovering from the affected laugh which had considerably
lengthened out the genuine gaiety of the moment--"but, upon
my soul, it is a most serious business. Poor Edward!
he is ruined for ever. I am extremely sorry for it--
for I know him to be a very good-hearted creature; as
well-meaning a fellow perhaps, as any in the world.
You must not judge of him, Miss Dashwood, from YOUR
slight acquaintance.--Poor Edward!--His manners are certainly
not the happiest in nature.--But we are not all born,
you know, with the same powers,--the same address.--
Sense and Sensibility |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: for engagement with the enemy. But it was impossible for him not to
note the strong current of opposition which he encountered from the
friends of Lysander. Not only was there lack of zeal in their service,
but they openly disseminated an opinion in the States, that it was the
greatest possible blunder on the part of the Lacedaemonians so to
change their admirals. Of course, they must from time to time get
officers altogether unfit for the post--men whose nautical knowledge
dated from yesterday, and who, moreover, had no notion of dealing with
human beings. It would be very odd if this practice of sending out
people ignorant of the sea and unknown to the folk of the country did
not lead to some catastrophe. Callicratidas at once summoned the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: line, and in a voice broken by the emotion she could not wholly
control, she read it through. The smile that played on her
mother's face showed how deep and pure was the consolation she
derived from the touching poetry. She could smile while racking
pains tortured her frame, while her frail body seemed hardly to
retain its hold upon mortality. How blessed the hope that pours
its heavenly balm into the wounds of the sufferer!
Poor Katy was painfully impressed by the appearance and conduct
of her mother. She had never before seen her so calm and resigned
to those dreadful sufferings. She had heard her complain and
murmur at her hard lot, and wonder why she should be thus sorely
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