| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from McTeague by Frank Norris: long awake. One heard the chanting of street cries, the
shrill calling of children on their way to school, the merry
rattle of a butcher's cart, the brisk noise of hammering, or
the occasional prolonged roll of a cable car trundling
heavily past, with a vibrant whirring of its jostled glass
and the joyous clanging of its bells.
"What is it, Mac, dear?" said Trina.
McTeague shut the door behind him with his heel and handed
her the letter. Trina read it through. Then suddenly her
small hand gripped tightly upon the sponge, so that the
water started from it and dripped in a little pattering
McTeague |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain: the footfalls--one--two--three. There--it is just outside.
Now is the time! Shout, man, shout!--it is the one sole chance
between you and eternity! Ah, you see you have delayed too long--
it is gone by. There--it is dying out. It is gone! Think of it--
reflect upon it--you have heard a human footstep for the last time.
How curious it must be, to listen to so common a sound as that,
and know that one will never hear the fellow to it again.'
Oh, my friend, the agony in that shrouded face was ecstasy to see!
I thought of a new torture, and applied it--assisting myself with a trifle
of lying invention--
'That poor Kruger tried to save my wife and child, and I
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: Earl of Alban I sent for thee hither. The time is now nearly
ripe, and I will straightway send for thy father to come to
London. Meantime it would not be safe either for thee or for me
to keep thee in my service. I have spoken to his Highness the
Prince of Wales, who, with other of the Princes, is upon our side
in this quarrel. He hath promised to take thee into his service
until the fitting time comes to bring thee and thine enemy
together, and to-morrow I shall take thee to Scotland Yard, where
his Highness is now lodging."
As the Earl ended his speech, Myles bowed, but did not speak. The
Earl waited for a little while, as though to give him the
Men of Iron |
