| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: fiddlestrings, and then have nothing left but the flesh and the
D. Don't tell me!"
"Do stop, auntie," interposed Kate, quite alarmed, "you are
really worse than a coachman. You are growing very profane
indeed."
"I have a much harder time than any coachman, Kate," retorted
the injured lady. "Nobody tries to stop him, and you are
always hushing me up."
"Hushing you up, darling?" said Kate. "When we only spoil you
by praising and quoting everything you say."
"Only when it amuses you," said Aunt Jane. "So long as I sit
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Young Forester by Zane Grey: Even in the moment of impulse I knew how foolish this would be. But I could
not help it. That forest had bewitched me. I meant to go back to it.
"I'll stay away from the sawmill," I meditated, growing lighter of heart
every minute. "I'll keep out of sight of the lumbermen. I'll go higher up
on the mountain, and hunt, and study the trees. . . . I'll do it."
Whereupon I marched off at once to a store and bought the supply of
provisions that Buell had decided against when he helped me with my outfit.
This addition made packing the pony more of a problem than ever, but I
contrived to get it all on to my satisfaction. It was nearing sunset when I
rode out of Holston this second time. The sage flat was bare and gray. Dick
had long since reached the pines, and would probably make camp at the spring
The Young Forester |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from On Horsemanship by Xenophon: also accustom the whole of his body above the hips to be as supple as
possible; for thus he will enlarge his scope of action, and in case of
a tug or shove be less liable to be unseated. Next, when the rider is
seated, he must, in the first place, teach his horse to stand quiet,
until he has drawn his skirts from under him, if need be,[10] and got
the reins an equal length and grasped his spear in the handiest
fashion; and, in the next place, he should keep his left arm close to
his side. This position will give the rider absolute ease and
freedom,[11] and his hand the firmest hold.
[9] i.e. "below the knee"; "shin and calf."
[10] Lit. "pulled up" (and arranged the folds of his mantle).
On Horsemanship |
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 Massimilla Doni by Honore de Balzac: The pit was shouting /bravo/, when Genovese left the stage.
"Now, free from her deplorable lover, we shall hear Tinti sing, /O
desolata Elcia/--the tremendous /cavatina/ expressive of love
disapproved by God."
"Where art thou, Rossini?" cried Cataneo. "If he could but hear the
music created by his genius so magnificently performed," he went on.
"Is not Clarina worthy of him?" he asked Capraja. "To give life to
those notes by such gusts of flame, starting from the lungs and
feeding in the air on some unknown matter which our ears inhale, and
which bears us heavenwards in a rapture of love, she must be divine!"
"She is like the gorgeous Indian plant, which deserting the earth
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