| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: witnessed; and as every word marked alike the brave officer and
the sensible man, who retained possession of his cool judgment
under the most imminent dangers, the company looked upon the
soldier with general respect, as on one who had proved himself
possessed of an uncommon portion of personal courage--that
attribute of all others of which everybody desires to be thought
possessed.
The day at Woodville Castle ended as usual in such mansions. The
hospitality stopped within the limits of good order. Music, in
which the young lord was a proficient, succeeded to the
circulation of the bottle; cards and billiards, for those who
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: detail, her dreary narrative.
"The minute we got out there, and he found the job wasn't as
good as he expected, he changed. At first I thought he was sick--I
used to try to keep him home and nurse him. Then I saw it was
something different. He used to go off for hours at a time, and
when he came back his eyes kinder had a fog over them. Sometimes
he didn't har'ly know me, and when he did he seemed to hate me.
Once he hit me here." She touched her breast. "Do you remember,
Ann Eliza, that time he didn't come to see us for a week--the time
after we all went to Central Park together--and you and I thought
he must be sick?"
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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 The Pupil by Henry James: always his little brooding theory, in which there was a frivolous
gaiety too, that their long probation was drawing to a close.
Morgan's conviction that the Moreens couldn't go on much longer
kept pace with the unexpended impetus with which, from month to
month, they did go on. Three weeks after Pemberton had rejoined
them they went on to another hotel, a dingier one than the first;
but Morgan rejoiced that his tutor had at least still not
sacrificed the advantage of a room outside. He clung to the
romantic utility of this when the day, or rather the night, should
arrive for their escape.
For the first time, in this complicated connexion, our friend felt
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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 Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll: It had been left vacant--apparently for Arthur, as a distinguished
stranger: but he had turned shy, and had placed himself next to the
young lady in spectacles, whose high rasping voice had already cast
loose upon Society such ominous phrases as "Man is a bundle of
Qualities!", "the Objective is only attainable through the Subjective!".
Arthur was bearing it bravely: but several faces wore a look of alarm,
and I thought it high time to start some less metaphysical topic.
"In my nursery days," I began, "when the weather didn't suit for an
out-of-doors picnic, we were allowed to have a peculiar kind, that we
enjoyed hugely. The table cloth was laid under the table, instead of
upon it: we sat round it on the floor: and I believe we really enjoyed
Sylvie and Bruno |
