| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: returned to the Chimneys. A good fire crackled on the hearth. Herbert had
just thrown on an armful of dry wood, and the flame cast a bright light
into the darkest parts of the passage.
Pencroft immediately began to prepare the dinner. It appeared best to
introduce something solid into the bill of fare, for all needed to get up
their strength. The strings of couroucous were kept for the next day, but
they plucked a couple of grouse, which were soon spitted on a stick, and
roasting before a blazing fire.
At seven in the evening Neb had not returned. The prolonged absence of
the Negro made Pencroft very uneasy. It was to be feared that he had met
with an accident on this unknown land, or that the unhappy fellow had been
The Mysterious Island |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: watched this couple with close, and perhaps malicious, scrutiny
it seemed evident that, in the haughtiness of a firmer character,
higher birth, and more decided views of aggrandisement, the lady
looked with some contempt on her husband, and that he regarded
her with jealous fear, rather than with love or admiration.
Still, however, the leading and favourite interests of Sir
William Ashton and his lady were the same, and they failed not to
work in concert, although without cordiality, and to testify, in
all exterior circumstances, that respect for each other which
they were aware was necessary to secure that of the public.
Their union was crowned with several children, of whom three
The Bride of Lammermoor |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Copy-Cat & Other Stories by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: early September, just before school began, that a
climax came to Amelia's idolatry and imitation of
Lily. The Jenningses had not gone away that sum-
mer, so the two little girls had been thrown together
a good deal. Mrs. Diantha never went away during
a summer. She considered it her duty to remain at
home, and she was quite pitiless to herself when it
came to a matter of duty.
However, as a result she was quite ill during the
last of August and the first of September. The sea-
son had been unusually hot, and Mrs. Diantha had
|
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 Youth by Joseph Conrad: then.
"Looking around as we talked, I saw away at sea a
bright light traveling in the night. 'There's a steamer
passing the bay,' I said. She was not passing, she was
entering, and she even came close and anchored. 'I
wish,' said the old man, 'you would find out whether she
is English. Perhaps they could give us a passage some-
where.' He seemed nervously anxious. So by dint of
punching and kicking I started one of my men into a
state of somnambulism, and giving him an oar, took
another and pulled towards the lights of the steamer.
Youth |
