| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Memories and Portraits by Robert Louis Stevenson: age of towns and hamlets, the green, settled, ancient look of the
country; the lush hedgerows, stiles, and privy path-ways in the
fields; the sluggish, brimming rivers; chalk and smock-frocks;
chimes of bells and the rapid, pertly-sounding English speech -
they are all new to the curiosity; they are all set to English airs
in the child's story that he tells himself at night. The sharp
edge of novelty wears off; the feeling is scotched, but I doubt
whether it is ever killed. Rather it keeps returning, ever the
more rarely and strangely, and even in scenes to which you have
been long accustomed suddenly awakes and gives a relish to
enjoyment or heightens the sense of isolation.
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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 Troll Garden and Selected Stories by Willa Cather: that he could buy and sell us all out any time he's a mind to;
but he knew Harve wouldn't have given a tinker's damn for his
bank and all his cattle farms put together; and a lack of
appreciation, that way, goes hard with Phelps.
"Old Nimrod, here, thinks Harve drank too much; and this
from such as Nimrod and me!"
"Brother Elder says Harve was too free with the old man's
money--fell short in filial consideration, maybe. Well, we can
all remember the very tone in which brother Elder swore his own
father was a liar, in the county court; and we all know that the
old man came out of that partnership with his son as bare as a
The Troll Garden and Selected Stories |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: staggered out to the alehouse, leaving him, as usual, to pour the
gold into bars when it was all ready.
When they were gone, Gluck took a farewell look at his old
friend in the melting pot. The flowing hair was all gone; nothing
remained but the red nose and the sparkling eyes, which looked more
malicious than ever. "And no wonder," thought Gluck, "after
being treated in that way." He sauntered disconsolately to the
window and sat himself down to catch the fresh evening air and
escape the hot breath of the furnace. Now this window commanded a
direct view of the range of mountains which, as I told you before,
overhung the Treasure Valley, and more especially of the peak from
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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 Women by Louisa May Alcott: "It would be a grand thing for one of those girls, wouldn't
it? Sallie says they are very intimate now, and the old man quite
dotes on them."
"Mrs. M. has made her plans, I dare say, and will play her
cards well, early as it is. The girl evidently doesn't think of it
yet," said Mrs. Moffat.
"She told that fib about her momma, as if she did know, and
colored up when the flowers came quite prettily. Poor thing!
She'd be so nice if she was only got up in style. Do you think
she'd be offended if we offered to lend her a dress for Thursday?"
asked another voice.
Little Women |
