| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane: The woman of brilliance and audacity whom he had met in the
hilarious hall showed a disposition to ridicule him.
"A little pale thing with no spirit," she said. "Did you note
the expression of her eyes? There was something in them about
pumpkin pie and virtue. That is a peculiar way the left corner
of her mouth has of twitching, isn't it? Dear, dear, my cloud-
compelling Pete, what are you coming to?"
Pete asserted at once that he never was very much interested
in the girl. The woman interrupted him, laughing.
"Oh, it's not of the slightest consequence to me, my dear young man.
You needn't draw maps for my benefit. Why should I be concerned about it?"
Maggie: A Girl of the Streets |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: strike a terrible blow at the whites along, the river. For months I have
watched the Indians preparing for an expedition, the extent of which they had
never before undertaken. I finally learned from Myeerah that my suspicions
were well founded. A favorable chance to escape presented and I took it and
got away. I outran all the braves, even Arrowswift, the Wyandot runner, who
shot me through the arm. I have had a hard time of it these last three or four
days, living on herbs and roots, and when I reached the river I was ready to
drop. I pushed a log into the water and started to drift over. When the old
dog saw me I knew I was safe if I could hold on. Once, when the young man
pointed his gun at me, I thought it was all over. I could not shout very
loud."
Betty Zane |
