| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: intently that he did not see Shorty approaching along the trail.
"Morning," said Shorty to him, with some constraint.
But the Virginian gave him a pleasant greeting, "I was afraid I'd
not catch you so quick," said Shorty. "This is for you." He
handed his recent foreman a letter of much battered appearance.
It was from the Judge. It had not come straight, but very
gradually, in the pockets of three successive cow-punchers. As
the Virginian glanced over it and saw that the enclosure it
contained was for Balaam, his heart fell. Here were new orders
for him, and he could not go to see his sweetheart.
"Hello, Shorty!" said Balaam, from over the creek. To the
The Virginian |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: Virginie.
"Who is that man?" asked Madame Vervelle.
"A great artist," answered Grassou.
There was silence for a moment.
"Are you quite sure," said Virginie, "that he has done no harm to my
portrait? He frightened me."
"He has only done it good," replied Grassou.
"Well, if he is a great artist, I prefer a great artist like you,"
said Madame Vervelle.
The ways of genius had ruffled up these orderly bourgeois.
The phase of autumn so pleasantly named "Saint Martin's summer" was
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