| 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: of things about him, and it graduly broke his heart--yes,
and he was so worried and distressed that often he warn't
hardly in his right mind.
"Well, on that Saturday that we've had so much trouble about,
two of these witnesses here, Lem Beebe and Jim Lane, come along
by where Uncle Silas and Jubiter Dunlap was at work--and
that much of what they've said is true, the rest is lies.
They didn't hear Uncle Silas say he would kill Jubiter;
they didn't hear no blow struck; they didn't see no dead man,
and they didn't see Uncle Silas hide anything in the bushes.
Look at them now--how they set there, wishing they hadn't
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson: and I projected a joint volume of logic stories, for which
she wrote 'The Shadow on the Bed,' and I turned out 'Thrawn
Janet,' and a first draft of 'The Merry Men.' I love my
native air, but it does not love me; and the end of this
delightful period was a cold, a fly-blister, and a migration
by Strathairdle and Glenshee to the Castleton of Braemar.
There it blew a good deal and rained in a proportion; my
native air was more unkind than man's ingratitude, and I must
consent to pass a good deal of my time between four walls in
a house lugubriously known as the Late Miss McGregor's
Cottage. And now admire the finger of predestination. There
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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 Cratylus by Plato: expressive of rest, or those which are expressive of motion? This is a
point which, as I said before, cannot be determined by counting them.
CRATYLUS: No; not in that way, Socrates.
SOCRATES: But if this is a battle of names, some of them asserting that
they are like the truth, others contending that THEY are, how or by what
criterion are we to decide between them? For there are no other names to
which appeal can be made, but obviously recourse must be had to another
standard which, without employing names, will make clear which of the two
are right; and this must be a standard which shows the truth of things.
CRATYLUS: I agree.
SOCRATES: But if that is true, Cratylus, then I suppose that things may be
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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 The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: sharp or saucy words and impulsive in her movements; but now the bewilderment
of being kissed, particularly within view of the trader's wife, confused her.
Then she heard voices, and as Joe turned away with a smile on his face, the
unusual warmth in her heart was followed by an angry throbbing.
Joe's tall figure stood out distinctly as he leisurely strolled toward the
incoming wagon-train without looking backward. Flashing after him a glance
that boded wordy trouble in the future, she ran into the cabin.
As she entered the door it seemed certain the grizzled frontiersman sitting on
the bench outside had grinned knowingly at her, and winked as if to say he
would keep her secret. Mrs. Wentz, the fur-trader's wife, was seated by the
open window which faced the fort; she was a large woman, strong of feature,
The Spirit of the Border |
