| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey: sort of thing was deadly serious. Generally such matters were
settled with guns. Duane gathered encouragement even from
disaster. Perhaps the disintegration of Cheseldine's great band
had already begun. But what did Knell know? Duane did not
circle around the idea with doubts and hopes; if Knell knew
anything it was that this stranger in Ord, this new partner of
Fletcher's, was no less than Buck Duane. Well, it was about
time, thought Duane, that he made use of his name if it were to
help him at all. That name had been MacNelly's hope. He had
anchored all his scheme to Duane's fame. Duane was tempted to
ride off after Fletcher and stay with him. This, however, would
The Lone Star Ranger |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett: before they died.
IV
At the Schoolhouse Window
ONE DAY I reached the schoolhouse very late, owing to attendance
upon the funeral of an acquaintance and neighbor, with whose sad
decline in health I had been familiar, and whose last days both the
doctor and Mrs. Todd had tried in vain to ease. The services had
taken place at one o'clock, and now, at quarter past two, I stood
at the schoolhouse window, looking down at the procession as it
went along the lower road close to the shore. It was a walking
funeral, and even at that distance I could recognize most of the
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard: all before from their fathers, and that once the Deluge had taken
place round Orofena, swallowing up great countries, but sparing
them because they were so good.
Bastin, surprised, asked them who had caused the deluge. They
replied, Oro which was the name of their god, Oro who dwelt
yonder on the mountain in the lake, and whose representation they
worshipped in idols. He said that God dwelt in Heaven, to which
they replied with calm certainty:
"No, no, he dwells on the mountain in the lake," which was why
they never dared to approach that mountain.
Indeed it was only by giving the name Oro to the Divinity and
When the World Shook |
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 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte: thing. Love! I detest the word! As applied to one of our sex, I
think it a perfect insult. A preference I MIGHT acknowledge; but
never for one like poor Mr. Hatfield, who has not seven hundred a
year to bless himself with. I like to talk to him, because he's so
clever and amusing - I wish Sir Thomas Ashby were half as nice;
besides, I must have SOMEBODY to flirt with, and no one else has
the sense to come here; and when we go out, mamma won't let me
flirt with anybody but Sir Thomas - if he's there; and if he's NOT
there, I'm bound hand and foot, for fear somebody should go and
make up some exaggerated story, and put it into his head that I'm
engaged, or likely to be engaged, to somebody else; or, what is
Agnes Grey |
