| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Intentions by Oscar Wilde: the coiner of false coin. He bids us listen to his misery; we
stop, and with dry and gaping lips he tells us how he dreams day
and night of the brooks of clear water that in cool dewy channels
gush down the green Casentine hills. Sinon, the false Greek of
Troy, mocks at him. He smites him in the face, and they wrangle.
We are fascinated by their shame, and loiter, till Virgil chides us
and leads us away to that city turreted by giants where great
Nimrod blows his horn. Terrible things are in store for us, and we
go to meet them in Dante's raiment and with Dante's heart. We
traverse the marshes of the Styx, and Argenti swims to the boat
through the slimy waves. He calls to us, and we reject him. When
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: some talk that he had had, on the second day, with Bessie Alden.
He had indeed had a good deal of talk with her, for she
was not literally always in conversation with Lord Lambeth.
He had meditated upon Mrs. Westgate's account of her sister,
and he discovered for himself that the young lady was clever,
and appeared to have read a great deal. She seemed very nice,
though he could not make out, as Mrs. Westgate had said, she was shy.
If she was shy, she carried it off very well.
"Mr. Beaumont," she had said, "please tell me something about Lord
Lambeth's family. How would you say it in England--his position?"
"His position?" Percy Beaumont repeated.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Roads of Destiny by O. Henry: trimmed hair, smooth, determined face, and aggressive, gold-rimmed
nose glasses. He was well dressed in the prevailing Eastern style. His
air denoted a quiet but conscious reserve force, if not actual
authority.
After walking a distance of three squares he came to the centre of the
town's business area. Here another street of importance crossed the
main one, forming the hub of San Rosario's life and commerce. Upon one
corner stood the post-office. Upon another Rubensky's Clothing
Emporium. The other two diagonally opposing corners were occupied by
the town's two banks, the First National and the Stockmen's National.
Into the First National Bank of San Rosario the newcomer walked, never
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