| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: vague fear that Smilash might at any moment take an action
against him for defamation of character, said he had no doubt
that he was a very cheap workman, and that it would be a charity
to give him some little job to encourage him. Miss Wilson
confirmed Fairholme's account; and the church organist, who had
tuned all the pianofortes in the neighborhood once a year for
nearly a quarter of a century, denounced the newcomer as Jack of
all trades and master of none. Hereupon the radicals of Lyvern, a
small and disreputable party, began to assert that there was no
harm in the man, and that the parsons and Miss Wilson, who lived
in a fine house and did nothing but take in the daughters of rich
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: Members of Parliament assembled at Westminster Hall, seated
himself on the coronation chair of the Stuarts, assumed the title
of Lord Protector, donned a robe of violet velvet, girt his loins
with a sword of state, and grasped the sceptre, symbolic of
kingly power. From that hour distrust beset his days, his nights
were fraught with fear. All his keen and subtle foresight, his
strong and restless energies, had since then been exerted in
suppressing plots against his power, and detecting schemes
against his life, concocted by the Republicans whose liberty he
had betrayed, and by the Royalists whose king he had beheaded.
Soon after he had assumed the title of Lord High Protector, a
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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 Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic: "That's where you're wrong," said Mr. Gorringe. "If you
let things like that worry you, you'll keep a sore skin
all your life. You take my advice and just go ahead
your own gait, and let other folks do the worrying.
They ARE pretty close-fisted here, for a fact, but you
can manage to rub along somehow. If you should get
into any real difficulties, why, I guess--" the lawyer
paused to smile in a hesitating, significant way--"I
guess some road out can be found all right. The main
thing is, don't fret, and don't allow your wife to--
to fret either."
The Damnation of Theron Ware |
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 Bucky O'Connor by William MacLeod Raine: "You don't need to explain a thing to me, seh. I'm sure resting
easy in my mind. But as you were about to re-mark you're fair
honin' for a chance to ask the kid's pardon. Now, ain't I a mind
reader, seh?"
A trembling voice stammered huskily an apology.
"Better late than too late. Now, I've a good mind to take a vote
whether I'd better unload the rest of the pills in this old
reliable medicine box at you. Mebbe I ought to pump one into that
coyote heart of yours."
The fellow went livid. "My God, you wouldn't kill an unarmed man,
would you?"
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