| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: up costs till they eat up the amount. And, as a rule, the Count's
creditors took nothing by that move, and were out of pocket in law and
personal expenses. To get money out of so experienced a debtor as the
Count, a creditor should really be in a position uncommonly difficult
to reach; it is a question of being creditor and debtor both, for then
you are legally entitled to work the confusion of rights, in law
language--"
"To the confusion of the debtor?" asked Malaga, lending an attentive
ear to this discourse.
"No, the confusion of rights of debtor and creditor, and pay yourself
through your own hands. So Claparon's innocence in merely issuing
|
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: the proprietor.
"Did he mention he was my friend?"
The proprietor laughed. The Virginian watched another nickel
click down among the pegs.
Honey Wiggin now made the bridegroom a straight offer. "We'll
take this thing off your hands, said he.
"Any or all of us," said Lin.
But Scipio held his peace. His loyalty went every inch as far as
theirs, but his understanding of his friend went deeper. "Don't
change your clothes," was the first and the last help he would be
likely to give in this matter. The rest must be as such matters
The Virginian |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: I _could_ see her once more in this world," he added.
Poor John! It _was_ rather natural; and the tears that fell,
as he spoke, came as naturally as if he had been a white man.
Tom drew a long breath from a sore heart, and tried, in his poor
way, to comfort him.
And over head, in the cabin, sat fathers and mothers, husbands
and wives; and merry, dancing children moved round among them,
like so many little butterflies, and everything was going on
quite easy and comfortable.
"O, mamma," said a boy, who had just come up from below,
"there's a negro trader on board, and he's brought four or five
Uncle Tom's Cabin |
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 The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: that seemed to be in the air. From the back of the house sounded
the tramp of boots and voices of men, and from outside came a
dull thump of hoofs, the rattle of harness, and creak of wheels.
Then Alfred came stamping in.
"Majesty, here's where you get the real thing," he announced,
merrily. "We're rushing you off, I'm sorry to say; but we must
hustle back to the ranch. The fall round-up begins to-morrow.
You will ride in the buck-board with Florence and Stillwell.
I'll ride on ahead with the boys and fix up a little for you at
the ranch. Your baggage will follow, but won't get there till
to-morrow sometime. It's a long ride out--nearly fifty miles by
The Light of Western Stars |
