| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: Indian.
Joe quickly covered the calf again, and pulled the trigger. Bellowing loud the
big bull dashed off. The herd swung around toward the west, and soon were
galloping off with a lumbering roar. The shaggy humps bobbed up and down like
hot, angry waves on a storm-blackened sea.
Upon going forward, Wetzel and Joe found the calf lying dead in the grass.
"You might hev did better'n that," remarked the hunter, as he saw where the
bullet had struck. "You went a little too fer back, but mebbe thet was 'cause
the calf stepped as you shot."
Chapter XV.
So the days passed swiftly, dreamily, each one bringing Joe a keener delight.
The Spirit of the Border |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Two Poets by Honore de Balzac: "That brother of yours has gone crazy, mademoiselle," said Postel,
lifting his face.
The old bachelor looked rather like a miniature brandy cask,
embellished by a painter's fancy, with a fat, ruddy countenance much
pitted with the smallpox; at the sight of Eve his face took a
ceremonious and amiable expression, which said plainly that he had
thoughts of espousing the daughter of his predecessor, but could not
put an end to the strife between love and interest in his heart. He
often said to Lucien, with a smile, "Your sister is uncommonly pretty,
and you are not so bad looking neither! Your father did everything
well."
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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 God The Invisible King by H. G. Wells: being of a very especial character. On the other hand men and women
who have set themselves, with unavoidable theological
preconceptions, it is true, to speculate upon the actual teachings
and quality of Christ, have produced interpretations that have
interwoven insensibly with thoughts more apparently new. There is a
curious modernity about very many of Christ's recorded sayings.
Revived religion has also, no doubt, been the receiver of many
religious bankruptcies, of Positivism for example, which failed
through its bleak abstraction and an unspiritual texture. Religion,
thus restated, must, I think, presently incorporate great sections
of thought that are still attached to formal Christianity. The time
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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 Glasses by Henry James: the point that he wouldn't. He simply and pointlessly didn't, and
when at the end of three months I asked him what was the use of
talking with such a fellow his nearest approach to a justification
was to say that what made him want to help her was just the
deficiencies I dwelt on. I could only reply without gross
developments: "Oh if you're as sorry for her as that!" I too was
nearly as sorry for her as that, but it only led me to be sorrier
still for other victims of this compassion. With Dawling as with
me the compassion was at first in excess of any visible motive; so
that when eventually the motive was supplied each could to a
certain extent compliment the other on the fineness of his
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