| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Letters from England by Elizabeth Davis Bancroft: the roast beef and a FRICANDEAU with sweet breads, then a pheasant,
and afterwards, dessert.
This morning Mr. Bates came very early to see us, and then Mr.
Joseph Coolidge, who looks very young and handsome; then Mr. Colman,
who also looks very well, Mr. Boyd and a Mr. Haight, of New York,
and Mr. Gair, son of Mr. Gair of Liverpool, a pleasing young man.
Monday Evening
This morning came Mr. Aspinwall, then Captain Wormeley, then Dr.
Holland, then Mrs. Bates, then Mr. Joseph Jay and his sister, then
Tom Appleton, Mrs. and Miss Wormeley, and Mrs. Franklin Dexter. Dr.
Holland came a second time to take me a drive, but Mrs. Bates being
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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 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce: place by the weight of the captain; it was now held by that
of the sergeant. At a signal from the former the latter
would step aside, the plank would tilt and the condemned man
go down between two ties. The arrangement commended itself
to his judgement as simple and effective. His face had not
been covered nor his eyes bandaged. He looked a moment at
his "unsteadfast footing," then let his gaze wander to the
swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet.
A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his
eyes followed it down the current. How slowly it appeared
to move! What a sluggish stream!
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |
