| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: with silver, but the sand at the bottom looked gold; when you kicked with
your toes there rose a little puff of gold-dust. Now the waves just
reached her breast. Beryl stood, her arms outstretched, gazing out, and as
each wave came she gave the slightest little jump, so that it seemed it was
the wave which lifted her so gently.
"I believe in pretty girls having a good time," said Mrs. Harry Kember.
"Why not? Don't you make a mistake, my dear. Enjoy yourself." And
suddenly she turned turtle, disappeared, and swam away quickly, quickly,
like a rat. Then she flicked round and began swimming back. She was going
to say something else. Beryl felt that she was being poisoned by this cold
woman, but she longed to hear. But oh, how strange, how horrible! As Mrs.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: condition is, I were a duke of the realm, an attorney with a little
cunning, like Desroches, might bring just such a petition against me.
" 'That his children's education has been neglected for this
monomania; and that he has taught them, against all the rules of
education, the facts of Chinese history, which contradict the tenets
of the Catholic Church. He also has them taught the Chinese
dialects.' "
"Here Desroches strikes me as funny," said Bianchon.
"The petition is drawn up by his head-clerk Godeschal, who, as you
know, is not strong in Chinese," said the lawyer.
" 'That he often leaves his children destitute of the most necessary
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: take unto other living creatures; as it is seen in the
Turks, a cruel people, who nevertheless are kind
to beasts, and give alms, to dogs and birds; inso-
much, as Busbechius reporteth, a Christian boy, in
Constantinople, had like to have been stoned, for
gagging in a waggishness a long-billed fowl.
Errors indeed in this virtue of goodness, or charity,
may be committed. The Italians have an ungra-
cious proverb, Tanto buon che val niente: so
good, that he is good for nothing. And one of
the doctors of Italy, Nicholas Machiavel, had
Essays of Francis Bacon |
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 Betty Zane by Zane Grey: "You are a child," said he, with a thrill in his deep voice "I hope you may
always be as you are to-day, in heart, at least."
"It grows late. See, the shadows are falling. We must go."
"You know I am going away to-morrow. I don't want to go. Perhaps that is why I
have been such poor company today. I have a presentiment of evil I am afraid I
may never come back."
"I am sorry you must go."
"Do you really mean that?" asked Alfred, earnestly, bending toward her "You
know it is a very dangerous undertaking. Would you care if I never returned?"
She looked up and their eyes met. She had raised her head haughtily, as if
questioning his right to speak to her in that manner, but as she saw the
Betty Zane |
