| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: "And the SMALL BOYS would rather see the circus than to hear you
preach, most likely," snapped Miss Perkins. It was adding insult
to injury for him to try to CONSOLE her.
"Of course they would; and so would some of the grown-ups if
they'd only tell the truth about it," said Douglas, laughing.
"What!" exclaimed Miss Perkins.
"Why not?" asked Douglas. "I am sure I don't know what they do
inside the tents, but the parade looked very promising."
"The PARADE!" the two women echoed in one breath. "Did YOU see
the parade?"
"Yes, indeed," said Douglas, enthusiastically. "But it didn't
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: myself suffered, I again push my way through it to the end.
There came suddenly an hour after which, as I look back,
the affair seems to me to have been all pure suffering;
but I have at least reached the heart of it,
and the straightest road out is doubtless to advance.
One evening--with nothing to lead up or to prepare it--
I felt the cold touch of the impression that had breathed
on me the night of my arrival and which, much lighter then,
as I have mentioned, I should probably have made little
of in memory had my subsequent sojourn been less agitated.
I had not gone to bed; I sat reading by a couple of candles.
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