| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: "Oh," she murmured with vague eyes, "how I'd love to get away
somewheres into the country this very minute--somewheres where it
was green and quiet. Seems as if I couldn't stand the city another
day." But Ann Eliza noticed that she was looking at Mr. Ramy, and
not at the flowers.
"I guess we might go to Cendral Park some Sunday," their
visitor suggested. "Do you ever go there, Miss Evelina?"
"No, we don't very often; leastways we ain't been for a good
while." She sparkled at the prospect. "It would be lovely,
wouldn't it, Ann Eliza?"
"Why, yes," said the elder sister, coming back to her seat.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: Again,[40] it is looked upon as a mistaken policy on the part of the
Athenian democracy to compel her allies to voyage to Athens in order
to have their cases tried.[41] On the other hand, it is easy to reckon
up what a number of advantages the Athenian People derive from the
practice impugned. In the first place, there is the steady receipt of
salaries throughout the year[42] derived from the court fees.[43]
Next, it enables them to manage the affairs of the allied states while
seated at home without the expense of naval expeditions. Thirdly, they
thus preserve the partisans of the democracy, and ruin her opponents
in the law courts. Whereas, supposing the several allied states tried
their cases at home, being inspired by hostility to Athens, they would
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry: and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they
are wisest. They are the magi.
End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of THE GIFT OF THE MAGI.
The Gift of the Magi |
