| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: Coming close to Arthur, he said, "My friend Arthur, you have had a sore trial,
but after, when you look back, you will see how it was necessary.
You are now in the bitter waters, my child. By this time tomorrow you will,
please God, have passed them, and have drunk of the sweet waters.
So do not mourn over-much. Till then I shall not ask you to forgive me."
Arthur and Quincey came home with me, and we tried to cheer each other
on the way. We had left behind the child in safety, and were tired.
So we all slept with more or less reality of sleep.
29 September, night.--A little before twelve o'clock we three,
Arthur, Quincey Morris, and myself, called for the Professor.
It was odd to notice that by common consent we had all put
Dracula |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: settled down to do nothing, or to wait for something to turn up. Buell sat
in the doorway, moodily watching the trail. Once he spoke, ordering the
Mexican to drive in the horses. I fancied from this that Buell might have
decided to break camp, but there was no move to pack.
The morning quiet was suddenly split by the stinging crack of a rifle and a
yell of agony.
Buell leaped to his feet, his ruddy face white.
"Greaser!" he exclaimed.
"Thet was about where Greaser cashed," relied Bill, coolly knocking the
ashes from his pipe.
"No, Bill, you're wrong. Here comes Greaser, runnin' like an Indian."
The Young Forester |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane: closed him. And there were iron laws of tradi-
tion and law on four sides. He was in a moving
box.
As he perceived this fact it occurred to him
that he had never wished to come to the war.
He had not enlisted of his free will. He had
been dragged by the merciless government. And
now they were taking him out to be slaughtered.
The regiment slid down a bank and wallowed
across a little stream. The mournful current
moved slowly on, and from the water, shaded
The Red Badge of Courage |
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 Summer by Edith Wharton: verandah. The night was so dark that there was not
much chance of his seeing her unless he opened the
window and before that she would have time to slip away
and be lost in the shadow of the trees. He stood for a
minute or two looking around the room with the same
expression of self-disgust, as if he hated himself and
everything about him; then he sat down again at the
table, drew a few more strokes, and threw his pencil
aside. Finally he walked across the floor, kicking the
portmanteau out of his way, and lay down on the bed,
folding his arms under his head, and staring up
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