| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Troll Garden and Selected Stories by Willa Cather: Nils smoothed his horse's mane with his glove. "You know,
Clara Vavrika, you are never going to stick it out. You'll cut
away some day, and I've been thinking you might as well cut away
with me."
Clara threw up her chin. "Oh, you don't know me as well as
you think. I won't cut away. Sometimes, when I'm with father, I
feel like it. But I can hold out as long as the Ericsons can.
They've never got the best of me yet, and one can live, so long as
one isn't beaten. If I go back to father, it's all up with Olaf in
politics. He knows that, and he never goes much beyond
sulking. I've as much wit as the Ericsons. I'll never leave them
 The Troll Garden and Selected Stories |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: you got the publishers bidding against each other you might do
even better; but of course I'm talking in the dark."
"Of course," said Glennard, with sudden dizziness. His hand had
slipped from the knob and he stood staring down at the exotic
spirals of the Persian rug beneath his feet.
"I'd have to see the letters," Flamel repeated.
"Of course--you'd have to see them. . . ." Glennard stammered;
and, without turning, he flung over his shoulder an inarticulate
"Good-by. . . ."
V
The little house, as Glennard strolled up to it between the trees,
|