| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Mother by Owen Wister: "'I doubt that very much, Richard. And she strikes me as being the sort
of character for whom a mere telephone would not be enough excitement.
The nerves of those people require more and more stimulants to give them
any sensation at all. I believe that she sits in his private office and
watches the ticker.'"
"'Why not give her a ticker in her bedroom while you are about it,
Ethel?' I suggested."
"But Ethel could not smile. 'I think that is perfectly probable,' she
answered. And then, 'Oh, Richard, isn't it mean!' At this I took her
hand, and she--but again I abstain from dwelling upon those circumstances
of the engaged which are familiar to you all."
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Emma McChesney & Co. by Edna Ferber: Lily Bernstein smiled upon them, and her teeth were as white and
even as one knew they would be before she smiled. Lily had taken
off her shop-apron. Her gown was blue serge, cheap in quality,
flawless as to cut and fit, and incredibly becoming. Above it,
her vivid face glowed like a golden rose.
"Lily," said Emma, "Miss Orton-Wells is going to speak to the
girls this noon. I thought you might help by telling her
whatever she wants to know about the girls' work and all that,
and by making her feel at home."
"Well, sure," said Lily, and smiled again her heart-warming
smile. "I'd love to."
Emma McChesney & Co. |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Coxon Fund by Henry James: call discouraging!" Gravener cried.
"Well I thought I was, and I thought she thought I was."
"I believe she did, but such a thing's measured by the effect.
She's not 'discouraged,'" he said.
"That's her own affair. The reason I asked you to see me was that
it appeared to me I ought to tell you frankly that--decidedly!--I
can't undertake to produce that effect. In fact I don't want to!"
"It's very good of you, damn you!" my visitor laughed, red and
really grave. Then he said: "You'd like to see that scoundrel
publicly glorified--perched on the pedestal of a great
complimentary pension?"
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