| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: bated breath to behold and admire the simplicity of the head-
quarters of the great financial force of the day. The word THRIFT
perched right up on the roof in giant gilt letters, and two enormous
shield-like brass-plates curved round the corners on each side of
the doorway were the only shining spots in de Barral's business
outfit. Nobody knew what operations were carried on inside except
this--that if you walked in and tendered your money over the counter
it would be calmly taken from you by somebody who would give you a
printed receipt. That and no more. It appears that such knowledge
is irresistible. People went in and tendered; and once it was taken
from their hands their money was more irretrievably gone from them
Chance |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela: low:
"A pity what remains to do won't be as beautiful! We
must wait a while, until there are no men left to fight
on either side, until no sound of shot rings through the
air save from the mob as carrion-like it falls upon the
booty; we must wait until the psychology of our race, con-
densed into two words, shines clear and luminous as a
drop of water: Robbery! Murder! What a colossal failure
we would make of it, friend, if we, who offer our enthu-
siasm and lives to crush a wretched tyrant, became the
builders of a monstrous edifice holding one hundred or
The Underdogs |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Cavalry General by Xenophon: and by and by, when the antagonist is in near proximity, and when the
word of command is passed, form squadron to the front and charge the
hostile ranks[18]--a manouvre calculated, as I conceive, to bring the
whole mass down upon the enemy with paralysing force, and to cause him
some trouble to extricate himself. Ideally speaking, both
divisions[19] will be backed by infantry kept in rear of the cavalry;
these will suddenly disclose themselves, and rushing to close
quarters, in all probability clench the nail of victory.[20] So at any
rate it strikes me, seeing as I do the effects of what is unexpected--
how, in the case of good things, the soul of man is filled to
overflowing with joy, and again, in the case of things terrible,
|
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 Betty Zane by Zane Grey: looked more unfriendly. Such a woeful, tear-stained face I never saw."
"Mr. Clarke, please do not speak any more of that," said Betty with dignity.
"I desire that you forget it."
"I will forget all except that it was I who had the happiness of finding you
and of helping you. I cannot forget that. I am sure we should never have been
friends but for that accident."
"There is Isaac. He is looking for me," answered Betty, rising.
"Wait a moment longer--please. He will find you," said Alfred, detaining her.
"Since you have been so kind I have grown bolder. May I come over to see you
to-morrow?"
He looked straight down into the dark eyes which wavered and fell before he
Betty Zane |
