| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: I gave it her, to be her marriage-portion, I declared.
'Not so bad a marriage-portion for a private soldier,' I told her,
laughing, as I passed it through the bars.
'O, Anne, and where am I to keep it?' she cried. 'If my aunt
should find it! What would I say!'
'Next your heart,' I suggested.
'Then you will always be near your treasure,' she cried, 'for you
are always there!'
We were interrupted by a sudden clearness that fell upon the night.
The clouds dispersed; the stars shone in every part of the heavens;
and, consulting my watch, I was startled to find it already hard on
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley: So they do, very like an old shore-line. Be that as it may, after
the chalk was eaten away, Madam How began digging into the soils
below the chalk, on which we are now; and because they were mostly
soft clays, she cut them out very easily, till she came down, or
nearly down, to the harder freestone rocks which run along on our
left hand, miles away; and so she scooped out this great vale,
which we call here the Vale of White Horse; and further on, the
Vale of Aylesbury; and then the Bedford Level; and then the dear
ugly old Fens.
Is this the Vale of White Horse? Oh, I know about it; I have read
The Scouring of the White Horse.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Buttered Side Down by Edna Ferber: dime down on the soda fountain marble and bellowing for rum and
salt horse. Some one started to tease the little Morehouse girl
about sailors having sweethearts in every port, but when they saw
the look in her eyes they changed their mind, and stopped. It's
funny how a girl of twenty is a woman, when a man of twenty is a
boy.
Eddie dished out the last of his chocolate ice cream sodas and
cherry phosphates and root beers, while the girls laughingly begged
him to bring them back kimonos from China, and scarves from the
Orient, and Eddie promised, laughing, too, but with a far-off,
eager look in his eyes.
Buttered Side Down |
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 Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: good of all, and He has given me, at the same time,
discernment. If the parliament were to order such a thing, I
should reflect."
The brow of Athos became clouded. "Then I may positively say
that your honor is not inclined to favor King Charles II.?"
"You continue to question me, monsieur le comte; allow me to
do so in turn, if you please."
"Do, monsieur; and may God inspire you with the idea of
replying to me as frankly as I shall reply to you."
"When you shall have taken this money back to your prince,
what advice will you give him?"
Ten Years Later |
