| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Purse by Honore de Balzac: persons try to prove their affection. Between these two there was
such a constant interchange of sweet emotion that they knew not
which gave or received the most.
A spontaneous affinity made the union of their souls a close one.
The progress of this true feeling was so rapid that two months
after the accident to which the painter owed the happiness of
knowing Adelaide, their lives were one life. From early morning
the young girl, hearing footsteps overhead, could say to herself,
"He is there." When Hippolyte went home to his mother at the
dinner hour he never failed to look in on his neighbors, and in
the evening he flew there at the accustomed hour with a lover's
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: this apparition, in the stormy twilight ringing with
the infuriated barking of the dog, felt the dread
of an inexplicable strangeness. But when that be-
ing, parting with his black hands the long matted
locks that hung before his face, as you part the two
halves of a curtain, looked out at him with glisten-
ing, wild, black-and-white eyes, the weirdness of
this silent encounter fairly staggered him. He had
admitted since (for the story has been a legitimate
subject of conversation about here for years) that
he made more than one step backwards. Then a
Amy Foster |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum: than I do, who lives in a forest. For they have been travelers all
over the world, and know every part of it."
"There is more of the world than Oz," declared the crab,
in a stubborn voice.
"That is true," said Dorothy; "but I used to live in Kansas, in the
United States, and I've been to California and to Australia and so
has Uncle Henry."
"For my part," added the Shaggy Man, "I've been to Mexico and Boston
and many other foreign countries."
"And I," said the Wizard, "have been to Europe and Ireland."
"So you see," continued the zebra, addressing the crab, "here are
The Emerald City of Oz |
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 Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: said she. "This is a great day; we are out of danger. My mother writes
that within a year there will be an amnesty. Oh! /la cara patria/!"
These three words made Gina weep. "Another winter here," said she,
"and I should have been dead!"
"Poor little Sicilian kid!" said Francesca, stroking Gina's head with
an expression and an affection which made Rodolphe long to be so
caressed, even if it were without love.
The boat grounded; Rodolphe sprang on to the sand, offered his hand to
the Italian lady, escorted her to the door of the Bergmanns' house,
and went to dress and return as soon as possible.
When he joined the librarian and his wife, who were sitting on the
Albert Savarus |
