Name That Wombat

I'm starting a new feature, one which I'm sure will finally allow this blog to compete with Time, ESPN and The New York Times. It's called "Name That Wombat." The way it works is simple. I excerpt a passage of prose taken from some canonical writer. Anyone who likes may guess who wrote it. Whoever gets it right, wins a Ferrari.

That's right. A Ferrari. I've been saving up.

One rule: you can't just search the passage on the internet.

I hope to choose passages which seem to me representative of not only the writer in question, but also (at least some of the time) the style of the time. Or, one of the (dominant) styles of the time. So even if you haven't read the passage, there should be enough clues to make it possible to guess.

First passage coming soon.