| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: extracted a visiting-card. On second thoughts, however, he kept it
back, remarking that he wouldn't trouble his friend to take charge
of it but would come and see him straightway in London and leave it
at his door if he should fail to obtain entrance.
"Ah you'll probably fail; my wife's always out - or when she isn't
out is knocked up from having been out. You must come and dine -
though that won't do much good either, for my wife insists on big
dinners." St. George turned it over further, but then went on:
"You must come down and see us in the country, that's the best way;
we've plenty of room, and it isn't bad."
"You've a house in the country?" Paul asked enviously.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: to herself. Except the daughter of one of the cotters,
who was their servant, and a lad who worked in the garden
and stable, scarcely anyone but themselves ever entered
the house. They were the only genteel people of the
district except the Yeobrights, and though far from rich,
they did not feel that necessity for preserving a friendly
face towards every man, bird, and beast which influenced
their poorer neighbours.
When the reddleman entered the garden the old man was
looking through his glass at the stain of blue sea in
the distant landscape, the little anchors on his buttons
Return of the Native |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Davis: but he did not. He wondered if Neff remembered he was there,--
if any of the boys thought of him up there, and thought that he
never was to go down that old cinder-road again. Never again!
He had not quite understood it before; but now he did. Not for
days or years, but never!--that was it.
How clear the light fell on that stall in front of the market!
and how like a picture it was, the dark-green heaps of corn, and
the crimson beets, and golden melons! There was another with
game: how the light flickered on that pheasant's breast, with
the purplish blood dripping over the brown feathers! He could
see the red shining of the drops, it was so near. In one minute
Life in the Iron-Mills |
