| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Firm of Nucingen by Honore de Balzac: there a shareholder is taken in, he has himself to blame, nobody sells
him a pig in a poke. The manufacturing industry----"
"Ah!" exclaimed Bixiou, "here comes industry----"
"---- is a gainer by it," continued Couture, taking no notice of the
interruption. "Every government that meddles with commerce and cannot
leave it free, sets about an expensive piece of folly; State
interference ends in a MAXIMUM or a monopoly. To my thinking, few
things can be more in conformity with the principles of free trade
than joint-stock companies. State interference means that you try to
regulate the relations of principal and interest, which is absurd. In
business, generally speaking, the profits are in proportion to the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Elizabeth and her German Garden by Marie Annette Beauchamp: that he gave in, and we went off very happily hand in hand.
"Now mind, Elizabeth," he said, turning to me at the church door,
"there is no coming out again in the middle. Having insisted
on being brought, thou shalt now sit patiently till the end."
"Oh, yes, oh, yes," I promised eagerly, and went in filled
with holy fire. The shortness of my legs, hanging helplessly
for two hours midway between the seat and the floor,
was the weapon chosen by Satan for my destruction.
In German churches you do not kneel, and seldom stand, but sit
nearly the whole time, praying and singing in great comfort.
If you are four years old, however, this unchanged position
Elizabeth and her German Garden |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: extended.
"Bess, is dinner ready?" inquired Colonel Zane of his comely wife. She nodded
her head, and the colonel led the way into the adjoining room. "I know you
boys must be hungry as bears."
During the meal Colonel Zane questioned his guests about their journey, and as
to the treatment they had received at the hands of the Indians. He smiled at
the young minister's earnestness in regard to the conversion of the redmen,
and he laughed outright when Joe said "he guessed he came to the frontier
because it was too slow at home."
"I am sure your desire for excitement will soon be satisfied, if indeed it be
not so already," remarked the colonel. "But as to the realization of your
The Spirit of the Border |
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 Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: vintage, sir--exc'lent vintage. Nothing against the tipple. Only
thing: here's a valuable uncle disappeared. Now, what I want to
know: where's valuable uncle?'
'I have told you: he is at Browndean,' answered Morris, furtively
wiping his brow, for these repeated hints began to tell upon him
cruelly.
'Very easy say Brown--Browndee--no' so easy after all!' cried
Michael. 'Easy say; anything's easy say, when you can say it.
What I don' like's total disappearance of an uncle. Not
businesslike.' And he wagged his head.
'It is all perfectly simple,' returned Morris, with laborious
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