| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: Bertie's and Billy's parents owned town and country houses in New York.
The parents of Oscar had come over in the steerage. Money filled the
pockets of Bertie and Billy; therefore were their heads empty of money
and full of less cramping thoughts. Oscar had fallen upon the reverse
of this fate. Calculation was his second nature. He had given his
education to himself; he had for its sake toiled, traded, outwitted, and
saved. He had sent himself to college, where most of the hours not
given to education and more education, went to toiling and more toiling,
that he might pay his meagre way through the college world. He had a
cheaper room and ate cheaper meals than was necessary. He tutored, and
he wrote college specials for several newspapers. His chief relaxation
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: challenge, and there was a savage bull-dog tenacity about Myles
that could not but have had a somewhat demoralizing effect upon
him.
A few blows were given and taken, and then Myles's friends gave a
shout. Blunt drew back, and placed his hand to his shoulder. When
he drew it away again it was stained with red, and another red
stain grew and spread rapidly down the sleeve of his jacket. He
stared at his hand for a moment with a half-dazed look, and then
glanced quickly to right and left.
"I will fight no more," said he, sullenly.
"Then yield thee!" cried Myles, exultantly.
Men of Iron |
