| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Walking by Henry David Thoreau: rightly the thick and thin skin. But methinks that is a scurf
that will fall off fast enough--that the natural remedy is to be
found in the proportion which the night bears to the day, the
winter to the summer, thought to experience. There will be so
much the more air and sunshine in our thoughts. The callous palms
of the laborer are conversant with finer tissues of self-respect
and heroism, whose touch thrills the heart, than the languid
fingers of idleness. That is mere sentimentality that lies abed
by day and thinks itself white, far from the tan and callus of
experience.
When we walk, we naturally go to the fields and woods: what would
Walking |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: this mysterious inference of things too terrible to mention. She
was right. Strong uttered a desperate "Bah!" and began pacing up
and down the garden with reckless strides.
Mrs. Willoughby watched him with secret delight, and when he
came to a halt, she wriggled to his side with simpering
sweetness.
"What COULD folks say?" she asked. "A minister and a young
circus riding girl living here like this with no one to--" She
found no words at this point and Strong, now thoroughly roused,
declared that the congregation should have no further cause for
gossip, and went out quickly in search of Douglas.
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