| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Time Machine by H. G. Wells: ground for it. You will soon admit as much as I need from you.
You know of course that a mathematical line, a line of thickness
NIL, has no real existence. They taught you that? Neither has
a mathematical plane. These things are mere abstractions.'
`That is all right,' said the Psychologist.
`Nor, having only length, breadth, and thickness, can a cube
have a real existence.'
`There I object,' said Filby. `Of course a solid body may
exist. All real things--'
`So most people think. But wait a moment. Can an
INSTANTANEOUS cube exist?'
The Time Machine |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: aunt, she said. So Shorty hung around the store and kissed the
grocery cat good-by. He'd been used to feeding the cat, and she'd
sit in his lap and purr, he told me. He sends money back to that
girl now. This hyeh country is no country for Shorty, for he will
be a conspicuous novice all his days."
"Perhaps he'll prefer honesty after his narrow shave," I said.
But the Virginian shook his head. "Trampas has got hold of him."
The day was now all blue above, and all warm and dry beneath. We
had begun to wind in and rise among the first slopes of the
foot-hills, and we had talked ourselves into silence. At the
first running water we made a long nooning, and I slept on the
The Virginian |
