| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed by Edna Ferber: I've traveled. I was not always like this. There was
another life, before--before--Oh, since then there have
been years of blackness, and hunger, and cold and--worse!
But I never dragged the boy into it. Look at him!"
Our eyes traveled from the woman's transfigured face
to that of the boy. We could trace a wonderful likeness
where before we had seen none. But the woman went on in
her steady, even tone.
"I can't talk as I should, because my brain isn't
clear. It's the drink. When you drink, you forget. But
you must help me. I can't do it alone. I can remember
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Merry Men by Robert Louis Stevenson: and strong, and of a just proportion; red tresses lay like a crown
over her brow; her eyes, of a very golden brown, held mine with a
look; and her face, which was perfectly shaped, was yet marred by a
cruel, sullen, and sensual expression. Something in both face and
figure, something exquisitely intangible, like the echo of an echo,
suggested the features and bearing of my guide; and I stood awhile,
unpleasantly attracted and wondering at the oddity of the
resemblance. The common, carnal stock of that race, which had been
originally designed for such high dames as the one now looking on
me from the canvas, had fallen to baser uses, wearing country
clothes, sitting on the shaft and holding the reins of a mule cart,
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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 The Cavalry General by Xenophon: uncertain whether you will stumble on the enemy, your duty is to rest
your squadrons in turn; since it will go hard with you, if the enemy
come to close quarters when the whole force is dismounted.[2] Or,
again, suppose the roads are narrow, or you have to cross a defile,
you will pass, by word of mouth, the command to diminish the front;[3]
or given, again, you are debouching on broad roads, again the word of
command will pass by word of mouth, to every squadron, "to increase
their front"; or lastly, supposing you have reached flat country, "to
form squadron in order of battle." If only for the sake of practice,
it is well to go through evolutions of the sort;[4] besides which it
adds pleasure to the march thus to diversify the line of route with
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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 Lin McLean by Owen Wister: McLean. For in this second hand-shaking was a fervor that seemed a grasp,
a reaching out, for comfort. Barker had passed through Separ. Though an
older acquaintance than Billy, he had asked Jessamine fewer and different
questions. But he knew what he knew. "Well, Drybone's the same old
Drybone," said he. "Sweet-scented hole of iniquity! Let's see how you
walk nowadays."
Lin took a few steps.
"Pooh! I said you'd never get over it." And his Excellency beamed with
professional pride. In his doctor days Barker had set the boy McLean's
leg; and before it was properly knit the boy had escaped from the
hospital to revel loose in Drybone on such another night as this. Soon he
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