| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: must meet him, and then in a flash dropped lance point straight
and true. The next instant there was a deafening stunning
crash--a crash like the stroke of a thunder-bolt. There was a
dazzling blaze of blinding light, and a myriad sparks danced and
flickered and sparkled before his eyes. He felt his horse stagger
under him with the recoil, and hardly knowing what he did, he
drove his spurs deep into its sides with a shout. At the same
moment there resounded in his ears a crashing rattle and clatter,
he knew not of what, and then, as his horse recovered and sprang
forward, and as the stunning bewilderment passed, he found that
his helmet had been struck off. He heard a great shout arise from
Men of Iron |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot: And if you don't give it him, there's others will, I said.
Oh is there, she said. Something o' that, I said. 150
Then I'll know who to thank, she said, and give me a straight look.
HURRY UP PLEASE IT'S TIME
If you don't like it you can get on with it, I said.
Others can pick and choose if you can't.
But if Albert makes off, it won't be for lack of telling.
You ought to be ashamed, I said, to look so antique.
(And her only thirty-one.)
I can't help it, she said, pulling a long face,
It's them pills I took, to bring it off, she said.
The Waste Land |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: and still ruminating on the subject; "very bad. Well, we'll have to see what
we` can do about it."
"Will you see right away?" urged Tattine eagerly.
"May as well, I reckon," and Joseph walked off in the direction of the
tool-house, but to Tattine's regret evidently did not appreciate any need for
extreme haste.
In a little while he was back again with Patrick, and both of them were
carrying spades. "There's only one way to do it," he explained, as they set to
work; "you see, the pillars of this porch rest on a stone foundation, so as to
support the rooms above, and we'll have to dig out three or four of the large
stones and then dig a sort of trench to wherever the puppies are," and Rudolph
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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 Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: was back there again. I had two huts to myself, and a couple of nigger
girls. It's better fun," said Peter, after a while, "having these black
women than whites. The whites you've got to support, but the niggers
support you! And when you've done with them you can just get rid of them.
I'm all for the nigger gals." Peter laughed. But the stranger sat
motionless with his arms about his knees.
"You got any girls?" said Peter. "Care for niggers?"
"I love all women," said the stranger, refolding his arms about his knees.
"Oh, you do, do you?" said Peter. "Well, I'm pretty sick of them. I had
bother enough with mine," he said genially, warming his hands by the fire,
and then interlocking the fingers and turning the palms towards the blaze
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