| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: er moaned over her dismally whenever the girl came
to see her on her day out. The father was surly,
but pretended not to know; and Mrs. Finn once
told her plainly that 'this man, my dear, will do
you some harm some day yet.' And so it went on.
They could be seen on the roads, she tramping stol-
idly in her finery--grey dress, black feather, stout
boots, prominent white cotton gloves that caught
your eye a hundred yards away; and he, his coat
slung picturesquely over one shoulder, pacing by
her side, gallant of bearing and casting tender
Amy Foster |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: go to sleep with my head at your feet; curious, isn't it, when I don't know
you from Adam? My name's Peter Halket. What's yours?"
But the stranger was arranging the logs on the fire. The flames shot up
bright and high, and almost hid him from Peter Halket's view.
"By gad! how they burn when you arrange them!" said Peter.
They sat quiet in the blaze for a while.
Then Peter said, "Did you see any niggers about yesterday? I haven't come
across any in this part."
"There is," said the stranger, raising himself, "an old woman in a cave
over yonder, and there is one man in the bush, ten miles from this spot.
He has lived there six weeks, since you destroyed the kraal, living on
|
