| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: unconscious girl, endeavoring to revive her. Presently a fluttering breath and
a quivering of her dark lashes noted a return of suspended life. Then her
beautiful eyes opened wide to gaze with wonder and fear into the grave faces
bent so anxiously over her.
"Nell, dearest, you are safe. What was it? What frightened you so?" said Kate,
tenderly.
"Oh, it was fearful!" gasped Nell, sitting up. She clung to her sister with
one hand, while the other grasped Jim's sleeve.
"I was looking out into the dark, when suddenly I beheld a face, a terrible
face!" cried Nell. Those who watched her marveled at the shrinking, awful fear
in her eyes. "It was right by the window. I could have touched it. Such a
The Spirit of the Border |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic: concentrated itself upon the night meetings, for the reason
that THEN came the fierce wrestle with a Beelzebub of flesh
and blood. And it was not so one-sided a contest, either!
No evening passed without its victories for the pulpit.
Careless or mischievous young people who were pushed into
the foremost ranks of the mockers, and stood grinning
and grimacing under the lights, would of a sudden feel
a spell clamped upon them. They would hear a strange,
quavering note in the preacher's voice, catch the sense
of a piercing, soul-commanding gleam in his eye--
not at all to be resisted. These occult forces would
The Damnation of Theron Ware |
