| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Some Reminiscences by Joseph Conrad: gently past the black glistening length of the ship. A few
strokes brought us alongside, and it was then that, for the very
first time in my life, I heard myself addressed in English--the
speech of my secret choice, of my future, of long friendships, of
the deepest affections, of hours of toil and hours of ease, and
of solitary hours too, of books read, of thoughts pursued, of
remembered emotions--of my very dreams! And if (after being thus
fashioned by it in that part of me which cannot decay) I dare not
claim it aloud as my own, then, at any rate the speech of my
children. Thus small events grow memorable by the passage of
time. As to the quality of the address itself I cannot say it
Some Reminiscences |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Moon-Face and Other Stories by Jack London: "That accounts for it," Chris demurred. "Her folly passed with her youth.
Many's the lively time she's given you."
"No," Lute answered. "I never knew her really to cut up. I think the only
trouble she ever gave me was when I was training her to open gates. She was
afraid when they swung back upon her--the animal's fear of the trap, perhaps.
But she bravely got over it. And she never was vicious. She never bolted, nor
bucked, nor cut up in all her life--never, not once."
The horses went on at a walk, still breathing heavily from their run. The road
wound along the bottom of the valley, now and again crossing the stream. From
either side rose the drowsy purr of mowing-machines, punctuated by occasional
sharp cries of the men who were gathering the hay-crop. On the western side of
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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 Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: "I tell you - he - is - found," the patron of letters shouted
emphatically.
"What is this!" exclaimed Renouard in a choked voice. Miss Moorsom
seized his wrist suddenly, and at that contact fire ran through all
his veins, a hot stillness descended upon him in which he heard the
blood - or the fire - beating in his ears. He made a movement as
if to rise, but was restrained by the convulsive pressure on his
wrist.
"No, no." Miss Moorsom's eyes stared black as night, searching the
space before her. Far away the Editor strutted forward, Willie
following with his ostentatious manner of carrying his bulky and
Within the Tides |
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 New Machiavelli by H. G. Wells: agreeable things."
"Frittering away," she says, "time and strength."
"That is what I feel. It's so pleasant to pretend one is simply
modest, it looks so foolish at times to take one's self too
seriously. We've GOT to take ourselves seriously."
She endorses my words with her eyes.
"I feel I can do great things with life."
"I KNOW you can."
"But that's only to be done by concentrating one's life upon one
main end. We have to plan our days, to make everything subserve our
scheme."
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