| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: would be cheaper. `What do you think of poor me?' she added;
`with six at home, younger than I am? And they all think I'm rich,
because when I go back to the country I'm dressed so fine!'
She shrugged her shoulders. `But, you know, my weakness is playthings.
I like to buy them playthings better than what they need.'
`I know how that is,' said Anna. `When we first came here,
and I was little, we were too poor to buy toys. I never got
over the loss of a doll somebody gave me before we left Norway.
A boy on the boat broke her and I still hate him for it.'
`I guess after you got here you had plenty of live dolls to nurse, like me!'
Lena remarked cynically.
My Antonia |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tour Through Eastern Counties of England by Daniel Defoe: occasion, one shot having killed three horsemen in our fight.
20th. We now found the enemy, in order to a perfect blockade,
resolved to draw a line of circumvallation round the town; having
received a train of forty pieces of heavy cannon from the Tower of
London.
This day the Parliament sent a messenger to their prisoners to know
how they fared, and how they were used; who returned word, that
they fared indifferent well, and were very civilly used, but that
provisions were scarce, and therefore dear.
This day a party of horse, with 300 foot, sallied out, and marched
as far as the fort on the Isle of Mersey, which they made a show of
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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 A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: the field of battle, like base scullions, crying out Gelt, gelt,
signifying their desire of pay, instead of falling to blows like
our noble Scottish blades, who ever disdained, my lord,
postponing of honour to filthy lucre."
"But were not these arrears," said Lord Menteith, "paid to the
soldiery at some stated period?"
"My lord," said Dalgetty, "I take it on my conscience, that at no
period, and by no possible process, could one creutzer of them
ever be recovered. I myself never saw twenty dollars of my own
all the time I served the invincible Gustavus, unless it was from
the chance of a storm or victory, or the fetching in some town or
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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 Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: civilised and tame--therefore we let them live with us, and love
them. Because they try to be good in their simple way, therefore
they too have all things added to them, and live far happier, and
more comfortable lives than the selfish wolf and fox.
But why have not all animals found out that?
I cannot tell: there may be wise animals and foolish animals, as
there are wise and foolish men. Indeed there are. I see a very
wise animal there, who never competes; for she has learned
something of the golden lesson--that it is more blessed to give
than to receive; and she acts on what she has learnt, all day
long.
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