| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Reminiscences of Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy: IN the summer, when both families were together at Yásnaya,
our own and the Kuzmínsky's, when both the house and the
annex were full of the family and their guests, we used our
letter-box.
It originated long before, when I was still small and had only
just learned to write, and it continued with intervals till the
middle of the eighties.
It hung on the landing at the top of the stairs beside the
grandfather's clock; and every one dropped his compositions into
it, the verses, articles, or stories that he had written on topical
subjects in the course of the week.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: "Who are you? You are not my mother. She is dead," he cried, starting up
wildly, and looking at her with brilliant eyes.
Betty dropped the fan and rose quickly to her feet. What had she done? A
terrible thought had flashed into her mind. Suppose he were not delirious, and
had been deceiving her. Oh! for a hiding-place, or that the floor would
swallow her. Oh! if some one would only come.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Betty ran to the door. To her great relief
Mrs. Martin was coming up.
"You can run home now, there's a dear," said the old lady. "We have several
watchers for to-night. It will not be long now when he will commence to mend,
or else he will die. Poor boy, please God that he gets well. Has he been good?
Betty Zane |
