| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy: "But when people find themselves on one of the highest
points in the county, they must get down again," he
retorted.
He loosened rein, and away they went a second time.
D'Urberville turned his face to her as they rocked, and
said, in playful raillery: "Now then, put your arms
round my waist again, as you did before, my Beauty."
"Never!" said Tess independently, holding on as well as
she could without touching him.
"Let me put one little kiss on those holmberry lips,
Tess, or even on that warmed cheek, and I'll stop--on
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Intentions by Oscar Wilde: PLAIN TALES FROM THE HILLS, one feels as if one were seated under a
palm-tree reading life by superb flashes of vulgarity. The bright
colours of the bazaars dazzle one's eyes. The jaded, second-rate
Anglo-Indians are in exquisite incongruity with their surroundings.
The mere lack of style in the story-teller gives an odd
journalistic realism to what he tells us. From the point of view
of literature Mr. Kipling is a genius who drops his aspirates.
From the point of view of life, he is a reporter who knows
vulgarity better than any one has ever known it. Dickens knew its
clothes and its comedy. Mr. Kipling knows its essence and its
seriousness. He is our first authority on the second-rate, and has
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: with further knowledge. There was no hurry, since we trusted
each other--wrong as my trust might be. She had no wish that I
should go away. I was not in the least disagreeable to her;
she liked me extremely, and I was perfectly free to try and
please her. Only I should drop my proposal, and be free to take
it up again or leave it alone, later, as I should choose.
If she felt differently then, I should have the benefit of it,
and if I myself felt differently, I should also have the benefit
of it."
"That 's a very comfortable arrangement. And that 's your present situation?"
asked Bernard.
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