| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: they have not had my special experiences."
I sat waiting for the boy to go on with it. How plainly he was telling me
of his "special experiences"! He and his creed were not merely in revolt
against the herd of swine; there would be nothing special in that; I had
met people before who were that; but he was tied by honor, and soon to be
tied by the formidable nuptial knot, to a specimen devotee of the cult.
He shouldn't marry her if he really did not want to, and I could stop it!
But how was I to begin spinning the first faint web of plan how I might
stop it, unless he came right out with the whole thing? I didn't believe
he was the man to do that ever, even under the loosening inspiration of
drink. In wine lies truth, no doubt; but within him, was not moral
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Riverman by Stewart Edward White: "Sounds a little more reasonable," said Taylor slowly.
"It'll sound a lot more reasonable in five or ten years," insisted
Orde, "and then you'll see the big men rushing out into that Oregon
and California country. But now a man can get practically the pick
of the coast. There are only a few big concerns out there."
"Why is it that no one--"
"Because," Orde cut him short, "the big things are for the fellow
who can see far enough ahead."
"What kind of a proposition have you?" asked Taylor after a pause.
"I can get ten thousand acres at an average price of eight dollars
an acre," replied Orde.
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