| 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: all that remained to their regretful gaze. Quickly that, too, disappeared
behind the green hill, which, with its bold front, forces the river to take a
wide turn.
The Ohio, winding in its course between high, wooded bluffs, rolled on and on
into the wilderness.
Beautiful as was the ever-changing scenery, rugged gray-faced cliffs on one
side contrasting with green-clad hills on the other, there hovered over land
and water something more striking than beauty. Above all hung a still
atmosphere of calmness--of loneliness.
And this penetrating solitude marred somewhat the pleasure which might have
been found in the picturesque scenery, and caused the voyagers, to whom this
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 Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: Barbican, and turning into one of the narrowest of the narrow
streets which diverged from that centre, slackened his pace and
wiped his heated brow, as if the termination of his walk were near
at hand.
It was not a very choice spot for midnight expeditions, being in
truth one of more than questionable character, and of an appearance
by no means inviting. From the main street he had entered, itself
little better than an alley, a low-browed doorway led into a blind
court, or yard, profoundly dark, unpaved, and reeking with stagnant
odours. Into this ill-favoured pit, the locksmith's vagrant
'prentice groped his way; and stopping at a house from whose
Barnaby Rudge |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: up to now, but at this he laughed and slapped his knees. He was a
husky beggar and would have used the paddle too.
"'Who's the girls?' I asked Tilly, as we went ripping down the
centre in a reel. And as soon as she told me their names I
remembered all about them from Happy Jack. Had their pedigree
down fine--several things he'd told me that not even their own
tribe knew. But I held my hush, and went on courting Tilly, they
a-casting sharp remarks and everybody roaring. 'Bide a wee,
Tommy,' I says to myself; 'bide a wee.'
"And bide I did, till the dance was ripe to break up, and Chief
George had brought a paddle all ready for me. Everybody was on
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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 The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories by Mark Twain: and nothing more.
Then if I am an experiment, am I the whole of it? No, I think not;
I think the rest of it is part of it. I am the main part of it,
but I think the rest of it has its share in the matter. Is my
position assured, or do I have to watch it and take care of it?
The latter, perhaps. Some instinct tells me that eternal vigilance
is the price of supremacy. [That is a good phrase, I think, for one
so young.]
Everything looks better today than it did yesterday. In the rush of
finishing up yesterday, the mountains were left in a ragged condition,
and some of the plains were so cluttered with rubbish and remnants
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