| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey: want to leave me, I'll send her, and not empty-handed, back to
Illinois where you came from. I promise you."
"I knew it was a lie," replied the mother, and she sank back upon
her pillow with something of peace in her white, worn face. "Jane
Withersteen, may Heaven bless you! I've been deeply grateful to
you. But because you're a Mormon I never felt close to you till
now. I don't know much about religion as religion, but your God
and my God are the same."
CHAPTER VIII. SURPRISE VALLEY
Back in that strange canyon, which Venters had found indeed a
valley of surprises, the wounded girl's whispered appeal, almost
Riders of the Purple Sage |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Records of a Family of Engineers by Robert Louis Stevenson: gallant style to the rock, and, on its arrival, cheers were
given as a finale to the landing department.
[Monday, 30th July]
The ninetieth or last course of the building having been
laid to-day, which brought the masonry to the height of one
hundred and two feet six inches, the lintel of the light-room
door, being the finishing-stone of the exterior walls, was
laid with due formality by the writer, who, at the same time,
pronounced the following benediction: "May the Great Architect
of the Universe, under whose blessing this perilous work has
prospered, preserve it as a guide to the mariner."
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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 Troll Garden and Selected Stories by Willa Cather: hand went round and round he touched the ring with the tip of his
finger, smiling.
Hilda glanced toward the shed door through which Mrs. Ericson
had disappeared. "My Cousin Clara gave me that," she whispered
bashfully. "She's Cousin Olaf's wife."
III
Mrs. Olaf Ericson--Clara Vavrika, as many people still called
her--was moving restlessly about her big bare house that morning.
Her husband had left for the county town before his wife was out of
bed--her lateness in rising was one of the many things the Ericson
family had against her. Clara seldom came downstairs before eight
The Troll Garden and Selected Stories |
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 An Historical Mystery by Honore de Balzac: must have had a trough and a trowel. Now, if you went to the chateau
to tell Monsieur d'Hauteserre that you had done the work, how do you
explain the fact that Gothard was bringing you more plaster. You must
have passed your farm on your way to the chateau, and you would
naturally have left your tools at home and stopped Gothard."
This overwhelming argument produced a painful silence in the
courtroom.
"Come," said the prosecutor, "you had better admit at once that what
you buried was /not a stone post/."
"Do you think it was the senator?" said Michu, sarcastically.
Monsieur de Grandville hereupon demanded that the public prosecutor
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