| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: could never get over my immature age. He himself was born about
fifty years old, all complete, with his iron-grey whiskers and his
bilious eyes, which he had the habit of frequently closing during a
conversation. On one occasion he said to me. "By the by, the
Marquis of Villarel is here for a time. He inquired after you the
last time he called on me. May I let him know that you are in
town?"
I didn't say anything to that. The Marquis of Villarel was the Don
Rafael of Rita's own story. What had I to do with Spanish
grandees? And for that matter what had she, the woman of all time,
to do with all the villainous or splendid disguises human dust
The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: and the troubled heart filled with gratitude towards the invisible
spirits who had brought him such joy.
Thus time passed on, and though the exiled Fairies longed often for
their home, still, knowing they did not deserve it, they toiled on,
hoping one day to see the friends they had lost; while the joy of
their own hearts made their life full of happiness.
One day came little Bud to them, saying,--
"Listen, dear friends. I have a hard task to offer you. It is a
great sacrifice for you lightloving Fairies to dwell through the long
winter in the dark, cold earth, watching over the flowerroots, to keep
them free from the little grubs and worms that seek to harm them.
Flower Fables |
