The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy: to his intellectual career--a career which had extended over the greater
part of a dozen years. He did nothing, however, for some long stagnant
time to advance his new desire, occupying himself with little local jobs
in putting up and lettering headstones about the neighbouring villages,
and submitting to be regarded as a social failure, a returned purchase,
by the half-dozen or so of farmers and other country-people who condescended
to nod to him.
The human interest of the new intention--and a human interest
is indispensable to the most spiritual and self-sacrificing--
was created by a letter from Sue, bearing a fresh postmark.
She evidently wrote with anxiety, and told very little
 Jude the Obscure |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Lost Princess of Oz by L. Frank Baum: against their will. Of course, she could be imprisoned by the
magician or enchanted or transformed, in spite of her fairy powers,
but Ugu could not render her invisible by any magic at his command."
"I wonder if she's been transformed into Button-Bright?" said Dorothy
nervously. Then she looked steadily at the boy and asked, "Are you
Ozma? Tell me truly!"
Button-Bright laughed.
"You're getting rattled, Dorothy," he replied.
"Nothing ever enchants ME. If I were Ozma, do you think I'd have
tumbled into that hole?"
"Anyhow," said the Wizard, "Ozma would never try to deceive her
 The Lost Princess of Oz |