| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Paz by Honore de Balzac: the Emperor Nicholas against Poland, or that of Poland against the
Emperor. It would be a foolish thing to slip political discussion into
tales that are intended to amuse or interest. Besides, Russia and
Poland were both right,--one to wish the unity of its empire, the
other to desire its liberty. Let us say in passing that Poland might
have conquered Russia by the influence of her morals instead of
fighting her with weapons; she should have imitated China which, in
the end, Chinesed the Tartars, and will, it is to be hoped, Chinese
the English. Poland ought to have Polonized Russia. Poniatowski tried
to do so in the least favorable portion of the empire; but as a king
he was little understood,--because, possibly, he did not fully
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: lanterns, horns, and multitude startled him; he saw the
mounted images, and knew what it all meant.
They crossed the way, entered another street, and
disappeared. He turned back a few steps and was lost in
grave reflection, finally wending his way homeward by the
obscure river-side path. Unable to rest there he went to
his step-daughter's lodging, and was told that Elizabeth-
Jane had gone to Mr. Farfrae's. Like one acting in
obedience to a charm, and with a nameless apprehension, he
followed in the same direction in the hope of meeting her,
the roysterers having vanished. Disappointed in this he
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: "He say he love me," repeated the girl, in a kind of rapt awe.
"He ask me to marry him--he kees me--he hug me--he lift me on ze
horse--he ride with me all night--he marry me."
And she exhibited a ring on the third finger of her left hand.
Madeline saw that, whatever had been the state of Christine's
feeling for Ambrose before this marriage, she loved him now. She
had been taken forcibly, but she was won.
After Christine had gone, comforted and betraying her shy
eagerness to get back to Ambrose, Madeline was haunted by the
look in the girl's eyes, and her words. Assuredly the spell of
romance was on this sunny land. For Madeline there was a
The Light of Western Stars |
