| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: different from what they were at all times. If there were a
leveling process here it was made by her friends coming down to
meet the Westerners. Besides, any class of people would tend to
grow natural in such circumstances and environment.
Madeline found the situation one of keen and double interest for
her. If before she had cared to study her cowboys, particularly
Stewart, now, with the contrasts afforded by her guests, she felt
by turns she was amused and mystified and perplexed and saddened,
and then again subtly pleased.
Monty, once he had overcome his shyness, became a source of
delight to Madeline, and, for that matter, to everybody. Monty
The Light of Western Stars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf: upon masses of fruit, bananas, oranges, and giant pomegranates,
while a troop of naked natives whirled darts into the air.
Between the stitches she looked to one side and read a sentence
about the Reality of Matter, or the Nature of Good. Round her men
in blue jerseys knelt and scrubbed the boards, or leant over the rails
and whistled, and not far off Mr. Pepper sat cutting up roots with
a penknife. The rest were occupied in other parts of the ship:
Ridley at his Greek--he had never found quarters more to his liking;
Willoughby at his documents, for he used a voyage to work of arrears
of business; and Rachel--Helen, between her sentences of philosophy,
wondered sometimes what Rachel _did_ do with herself? She meant
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from 'Twixt Land & Sea by Joseph Conrad: years," he declared triumphantly. "So there!"
"I know all about that," I interrupted loftily.
"Do you sir? H'm!" His mind was still running on the ethics of
commercial competition. "I don't like to see your good nature
taken advantage of. He's bribed that steward of ours with a five-
rupee note to let him come down - or ten for that matter. He don't
care. He will shove that and more into the bill presently."
"Is that one of the tales you have heard ashore?" I asked.
He assured me that his own sense could tell him that much. No;
what he had heard on shore was that no respectable person in the
whole town would come near Jacobus. He lived in a large old-
'Twixt Land & Sea |
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 King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: KING HENRY.
Have done with words, my lords, and hear me speak.
QUEEN MARGARET.
Defy them then, or else hold close thy lips.
KING HENRY.
I prithee, give no limits to my tongue;
I am a king, and privileg'd to speak.
CLIFFORD.
My liege, the wound that bred this meeting here
Cannot be cur'd by words; therefore be still.
RICHARD.
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