In "the finish of patsy bames," when patsy saw black boy, his "heart was beating very
wildly beneath his jacket" because he
had never ridden in a race before.
was thinking about his mother's illness.
feared his mother's reaction to his riding in the race.
had a personal connection to the horse.

that’s the kind of bug henry was; and if we’d a had him along ’stead of our kings, he’d a fooled that town a heap worse than ourn done.”

c. with one finger is the answer

in the quotation from passage, connie willis states that literature is a way for authors from the past to communicate with readers of today. we can read their stories, books, and other texts to learn lessons about life. willis refers to these lessons as messages “from beyond the grave.” willis has a favorable viewpoint about the timelessness of literature.