| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy: the streets of Christminster homeward, the Widow Edlin crossed the green,
and opened the back door of the schoolmaster's dwelling, which she often
did now before bedtime, to assist Sue in putting things away.
Sue was muddling helplessly in the kitchen, for she was not a good housewife,
though she tried to be, and grew impatient of domestic details.
"Lord love 'ee, what do ye do that yourself for, when I've
come o' purpose! You knew I should come."
"Oh--I don't know--I forgot! No, I didn't forget. I did it
to discipline myself. I have scrubbed the stairs since eight
o'clock. I MUST practise myself in my household duties.
I've shamefully neglected them!"
Jude the Obscure |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Fisherman's Luck by Henry van Dyke: This seems a more likely story than Lucian's; at all events it comes
from a more orthodox atmosphere. But before giving it full
credence, I should like to know whether the children, when they
called "Rob Roy!" stood where the eel could see the spoon.
On the other side of the question, we may quote Mr. Ronalds, also a
Scotchman, and the learned author of THE FLY-FISHER'S ENTOMOLOGY,
who conducted a series of experiments which proved that even trout,
the most fugacious of fish, are not in the least disturbed by the
discharge of a gun, provided the flash is concealed. Mr. Henry P.
Wells, the author of THE AMERICAN SALMON ANGLER, says that he has
"never been able to make a sound in the air which seemed to produce
|
| 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: Bill. "We ain't goin' to hurt yeh, 'r kill yeh, 'r anythin' of
that sort. Jes' want to hang yeh, that's all, an' you a-messin'
round an' rampagin' somethin' terrible. To think of travellin'
trail together an' then bein' treated this-a way. Wouldn't
'bleeved it of yeh, Jan!"
"He's got too much steerage-way. Grab holt his legs, Taylor, and
heave'm over!"
"Yes, suh, Mistah Lawson. Do you press youah weight above, after
I give the word." The Kentuckian groped about him in the murky
darkness. "Now, suh, now is the accepted time!"
There was a great surge, and a quarter of a ton of human flesh
|
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 Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: be just frightened to death without you."
"Suit yourself. Besides, you wouldn't catch me going back to
Atlanta. Just as soon as they get a few houses up, Sherman will
come back and burn it again."
"He won't be back," said Frank and, despite his efforts, his face
drooped. "He's gone on through the state to the coast. Savannah
was captured this week and they say the Yankees are going on up
into South Carolina."
"Savannah taken!"
"Yes. Why, ladies, Savannah couldn't help but fall. They didn't
have enough men to hold it, though they used every man they could
Gone With the Wind |
