| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Dunwich Horror by H. P. Lovecraft: it displayed a freedom from infantile lisping of which many children
of three or four might well be proud. The boy was not talkative,
yet when he spoke he seemed to reflect some elusive element wholly
unpossessed by Dunwich and its denizens. The strangeness did not
reside in what he said, or even in the simple idioms he used;
but seemed vaguely linked with his intonation or with the internal
organs that produced the spoken sounds. His facial aspect, too,
was remarkable for its maturity; for though he shared his mother's
and grandfather's chinlessness, his firm and precociously shaped
nose united with the expression of his large, dark, almost Latin
eyes to give him an air of quasi-adulthood and well-nigh preternatural
The Dunwich Horror |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: particularly, knew no other occupation. They had attained a wonderful skill
with the rifle; long practice had rendered their senses as acute as those of
the fox. Skilled in every variety of woodcraft, with lynx eyes ever on the
alert for detecting a trail, or the curling smoke of some camp fire, or the
minutest sign of an enemy, these men stole onward through the forest with the
cautious but dogged and persistent determination that was characteristic of
the settler.
They at length climbed the commanding bluff overlooking the majestic river,
and as they gazed out on the undulating and uninterrupted area of green, their
hearts beat high with hope.
The keen axe, wielded by strong arms, soon opened the clearing and reared
Betty Zane |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson: wish you all joy in your good fortune, which I believe to be
deserved." And then to Alan, with a spice of drollery, "Mr.
Thomson, I pay you my compliment; it was most artfully conducted;
but in one point you somewhat outran my comprehension. Do I
understand your name to be James? or Charles? or is it George,
perhaps?"
"And why should it be any of the three, sir?" quoth Alan, drawing
himself up, like one who smelt an offence.
"Only, sir, that you mentioned a king's name," replied
Rankeillor; "and as there has never yet been a King Thomson, or
his fame at least has never come my way, I judged you must refer
Kidnapped |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen: for it was many days since she had any appetite, and many
nights since she had really slept; and now, when her
mind was no longer supported by the fever of suspense,
the consequence of all this was felt in an aching head,
a weakened stomach, and a general nervous faintness.
A glass of wine, which Elinor procured for her directly,
made her more comfortable, and she was at last able to express
some sense of her kindness, by saying,
"Poor Elinor! how unhappy I make you!"
"I only wish," replied her sister, "there were
any thing I COULD do, which might be of comfort to you."
Sense and Sensibility |
