| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: far behind, but now he could not elude her.
August Naab let him run this time, and Silvermane, keeping close to the
fence, passed the gate, ran down to the rim, and wheeled. The black
mustang was on him again, holding him in close to the fence, driving him
back down the stretch.
The brothers remorselessly turned him, and now Mescal, forcing the
running, caught him, lashed his haunches with her whip, and drove him
into the gate of the corral.
August and his two sons were close behind, and blocked the gate.
Silvermane's race was nearly run.
"Hold here, boys," said August. "I'll go in and drive him round and
The Heritage of the Desert |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Horse's Tale by Mark Twain: business!
"And she has taught me how to say good-morning and good-night to
her, which is by lifting my right hoof for her to shake; and also
how to say good-bye; I do that with my left foot - but only for
practice, because there hasn't been any but make-believe good-
byeing yet, and I hope there won't ever be. It would make me cry
if I ever had to put up my left foot in earnest. She has taught me
how to salute, and I can do it as well as a soldier. I bow my head
low, and lay my right hoof against my cheek. She taught me that
because I got into disgrace once, through ignorance. I am
privileged, because I am known to be honorable and trustworthy, and
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: Hotel de France, Ostend. Make it seven nine four nine six one.
Wire me alternative Burfield's."
The girl slowly counted. Then he was at Ostend. This hooked on
with so sharp a click that, not to feel she was as quickly letting
it all slip from her, she had absolutely to hold it a minute longer
and to do something to that end. Thus it was that she did on this
occasion what she never did--threw off a "Reply paid?" that sounded
officious, but that she partly made up for by deliberately affixing
the stamps and by waiting till she had done so to give change. She
had, for so much coolness, the strength that she considered she
knew all about Miss Dolman.
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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 Little Britain by Washington Irving: a great deal of genteel company from Theobald's Road, Red-
Lion Square, and other parts towards the west. There were
several beaux of their brother's acquaintance from Gray's Inn
Lane and Hatton Garden; and not less than three Aldermen's
ladies with their daughters. This was not to be forgotten or
forgiven. All Little Britain was in an uproar with the smacking
of whips, the lashing of miserable horses, and the rattling and
the jingling of hackney coaches. The gossips of the
neighborhood might be seen popping their nightcaps out at
every window, watching the crazy vehicles rumble by; and
there was a knot of virulent old cronies, that kept a lookout
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