| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: weapon.
It was closely approaching one o'clock in the morning before Mrs.
Brewster stirred from her comfortable bedroom chair. Taking up her
electric torch, which she kept always by the side of her bed, she
walked quickly down the staircase and into the pitch dark library.
Directing her torch-light so that she steered a safe course among
the chairs and tables, she approached one of the pieces of carved
Venetian furniture and reached out her hand to touch a trap-door.
As she looked for the spring she was horrified to see a thin
stream of blood oozing through the carving until, reaching the
letter "B," it outlined that initial in sinister red.
The Red Seal |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: to make an agreement with him; I would set down on paper
all that I remembered of Antonia if he would do the same.
We might, in this way, get a picture of her.
He rumpled his hair with a quick, excited gesture, which with him
often announces a new determination, and I could see that my
suggestion took hold of him. "Maybe I will, maybe I will!"
he declared. He stared out of the window for a few moments,
and when he turned to me again his eyes had the sudden
clearness that comes from something the mind itself sees.
"Of course," he said, "I should have to do it in a direct way,
and say a great deal about myself. It's through myself that I
My Antonia |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: sight may be best and most easily attained; but if we knew neither what
sight is, nor what hearing is, we should not be very good medical advisers
about the eyes or the ears, or about the best mode of giving sight and
hearing to them.
LACHES: That is true, Socrates.
SOCRATES: And are not our two friends, Laches, at this very moment
inviting us to consider in what way the gift of virtue may be imparted to
their sons for the improvement of their minds?
LACHES: Very true.
SOCRATES: Then must we not first know the nature of virtue? For how can
we advise any one about the best mode of attaining something of which we
|
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 The Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: petticoat, and the occasional sparkle of an eye, as if the
moonbeams were trembling on some bright thing.
"Pretty mistress," for I may call her so with a good conscience
thought the shrewd youth, since I know nothing to the
contrary,--"my sweet pretty mistress, will you be kind enough to
tell me whereabouts I must seek the dwelling of my kinsman, Major
Molineux?"
Robin's voice was plaintive and winning, and the female, seeing
nothing to be shunned in the handsome country youth, thrust open
the door, and came forth into the moonlight. She was a dainty
little figure with a white neck, round arms, and a slender waist,
The Snow Image |
