| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain: out into the dark and the storm, and he was a-hoping
he could get to this town all right and be safe.
But he had two pals aboard the boat, hiding, and he
knowed they was going to kill him the first chance they
got and take the di'monds; because all three stole them,
and then this fellow he got hold of them and skipped.
"Well, he hadn't been gone more'n ten minutes before
his pals found it out, and they jumped ashore and lit
out after him. Prob'ly they burnt matches and found
his tracks. Anyway, they dogged along after him all
day Saturday and kept out of his sight; and towards
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: visage avec un voile, et mettez des cendres sur votre tete, et allez
dans le desert chercher le fils de l'Homme.
SALOME. Qui est-ce, le fils de l'Homme? Est-il aussi beau que toi,
Iokanaan?
IOKANAAN. Arriere! Arriere! J'entends dans le palais le battement
des ailes de l'ange de la mort.
LE JEUNE SYRIEN. Princesse, je vous supplie de rentrer!
IOKANAAN. Ange du Seigneur Dieu, que fais-tu ici avec ton glaive?
Qui cherches-tu dans cet immonde palais? . . . Le jour de celui qui
mourra en robe d'argent n'est pas venu
SALOME. Iokanaan.
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: cadis, and to be so ordered: and these may be so preserved, ten, fifteen,
or twenty days, or it may be longer.
There is also another cadis, called by some a Straw-worm, and by some
a Ruff-coat, whose house, or case, is made of little pieces of bents, and
rushes, and straws, and water-weeds, and I know not what; which are so
knit together with condensed slime, that they stick about her husk or
case, not unlike the bristles of a hedge-hog. These three cadises are
commonly taken in the beginning of summer; and are good, indeed, to
take any kind of fish, with float or otherwise. I might tell you of many
more, which as they do early, so those have their time also of turning to
be flies in later summer; but I might lose myself, and tire you, by such a
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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 Heart of the West by O. Henry: Webb's horse was tied to the rack. He walked into the house and
brought out his roll of blankets that he never took with him except on
long rides, and his "slicker," and his longest stake-rope of plaited
raw-hide. These he began to tie deliberately upon his saddle. Santa, a
little pale, followed him.
Webb swung up into the saddle. His serious, smooth face was without
expression except for a stubborn light that smouldered in his eyes.
"There's a herd of cows and calves," said he, "near the Hondo water-
hole on the Frio that ought to be moved away from timber. Lobos have
killed three of the calves. I forgot to leave orders. You'd better
tell Simms to attend to it."
Heart of the West |
