| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: I felt I had him on the run, and I meant to keep him on the run.
My polite insistence must have had something menacing in it,
because he gave in suddenly. And I did not let him off a single item;
mate's room, pantry, storerooms, the very sail locker which was
also under the poop--he had to look into them all. When at last I
showed him out on the quarter-deck he drew a long, spiritless sigh,
and mumbled dismally that he must really be going back to his ship now.
I desired my mate, who had joined us, to see to the captain's boat.
The man of whiskers gave a blast on the whistle which he used
to wear hanging round his neck, and yelled, "Sephora's away!"
My double down there in my cabin must have heard, and certainly
The Secret Sharer |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett: that had linked the far island and these scattered farms into a
golden chain of love and dependence.
"Now, we mustn't stop again if we can help it," insisted Mrs.
Todd at last. "You'll get tired, mother, and you'll think the less
o' reunions. We can visit along here any day. There, if they
ain't frying doughnuts in this next house, too! These are new
folks, you know, from over St. George way; they took this old
Talcot farm last year. 'Tis the best water on the road, and the
check-rein's come undone--yes, we'd best delay a little and water
the horse."
We stopped, and seeing a party of pleasure-seekers in holiday
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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 The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: ringing of bells in Casterbridge, and the combined brass,
wood, catgut, and leather bands played round the town with
more prodigality of percussion-notes than ever. Farfrae was
Mayor--the two-hundredth odd of a series forming an elective
dynasty dating back to the days of Charles I--and the fair
Lucetta was the courted of the town....But, Ah! the worm i'
the bud--Henchard; what he could tell!
He, in the meantime, festering with indignation at some
erroneous intelligence of Farfrae's opposition to the scheme
for installing him in the little seed-shop, was greeted with
the news of the municipal election (which, by reason of
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
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 Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson: "I wonder if it is too late to make it up with the devil?" said the
virtuous person.
"Oh, I hope not," said the priest. "And at any rate we can but
try. But what are you doing with your axe?" says he to the rover.
"I am off to die with Odin," said the rover.
XVIII. - THE TOUCHSTONE.
THE King was a man that stood well before the world; his smile was
sweet as clover, but his soul withinsides was as little as a pea.
He had two sons; and the younger son was a boy after his heart, but
the elder was one whom he feared. It befell one morning that the
drum sounded in the dun before it was yet day; and the King rode
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