| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: bidding; that is not satisfactory; I must change that--the dramatic
unities require it; they must buy the sack they tried to steal; they
must pay a heavy price, too--some of them are rich. And another
thing, when I make a mistake in Hadleyburg nature the man that puts
that error upon me is entitled to a high honorarium, and some one
must pay. This poor old Richards has brought my judgment to shame;
he is an honest man:--I don't understand it, but I acknowledge it.
Yes, he saw my deuces--AND with a straight flush, and by rights the
pot is his. And it shall be a jack-pot, too, if I can manage it.
He disappointed me, but let that pass."
He was watching the bidding. At a thousand, the market broke: the
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: "Hadn't you rather have her marry a rich man?" asked Jo, as
her mother's voice faltered a little over the last words.
"Money is a good and useful thing, Jo, and I hope my girls
will never feel the need of it too bitterly not be tempted by
too much. I should like to know that John was firmly established
in some good business, which gave him an income large enough to
keep free from debt and make Meg comfortable. I'm not ambitious
for a splendid fortune, a fashionable position, or a great name
for my girls. If rank and money come with love and virtue, also,
I should accept them gratefully, and enjoy your good fortune, but
I know, by experience, how much genuine happiness can be had in
Little Women |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: the misery of his quitting their box, she was, upon the whole,
left one of the happiest creatures in the world.
While talking to each other, she had observed with
some surprise that John Thorpe, who was never in the same
part of the house for ten minutes together, was engaged
in conversation with General Tilney; and she felt something
more than surprise when she thought she could perceive
herself the object of their attention and discourse.
What could they have to say of her? She feared General
Tilney did not like her appearance: she found it was
implied in his preventing her admittance to his daughter,
Northanger Abbey |
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 1492 by Mary Johntson: forth to the blessed carrying of Christ!''
She spoke earnestly, a Queen, but with much about her
of womanly, motherly sweetness. I saw that she greatly
liked the man and somewhere met his spirit. But the King
was gathering hardness. He spoke to a secretary standing
behind him. ``Have you it there written down, the Italian's
demand?''
The man produced a paper. ``Read!'' But before it
could be unfolded, Master Christopherus spoke.
`` `Italian!' Seven years in Spain and ten in Portugal,
and a good while in Porto Santo that belongs to Portugal,
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