| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lemorne Versus Huell by Elizabeth Drew Stoddard: was ready to depart from Newport. The rose-colored days were ended!
In two days we were on the Sound, coach, horses, servants, and
ourselves.
It was the 1st of September when we arrived in Bond Street. A
week from that date Samuel Uxbridge, the senior partner of Uxbridge
Brothers, went to Europe with his family, and I went to Waterbury,
accompanied by Mr. Uxbridge. He consulted mother in regard to our
marriage, and appointed it in November. In October Aunt Eliza sent
for me to come back to Bond Street and spend a week. She had some
fine marking to do, she wrote. While there I noticed a restlessness
in her which I had never before observed, and conferred with Mrs.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: The closest intimacies, moreover, had phases and seasons,
intermissions and revivals, and even if his friend had, in fact,
averted his countenance from him, this was simply the accomplishment
of a periodical revolution which would bring them in due order
face to face again. Bernard made a point, himself, of writing
tolerably often and writing always in the friendliest tone.
He made it a matter of conscience--he liked to feel that he was
treating Gordon generously, and not demanding an eye for an eye.
The letter he found in Paris was so short that I may give
it entire.
"My dear Bernard (it ran), I must write to you before I
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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 Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: was the only memorial he left behind him: except, indeed, the scar
on Cary's arm, and poor Rose's broken heart.
Now county towns are scandalous places at best; and though all
parties tried to keep the duel secret, yet, of course, before noon
all Bideford knew what had happened, and a great deal more; and
what was even worse, Rose, in an agony of terror, had seen Sir
Richard Grenville enter her father's private room, and sit there
closeted with him for an hour and more; and when he went, upstairs
came old Salterne, with his stick in his hand, and after rating her
soundly for far worse than a flirt, gave her (I am sorry to have to
say it, but such was the mild fashion of paternal rule in those
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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 Euthydemus by Plato: Ctesippus, and said to him: To you, Ctesippus, I must repeat what I said
before to Cleinias--that you do not understand the ways of these
philosophers from abroad. They are not serious, but, like the Egyptian
wizard, Proteus, they take different forms and deceive us by their
enchantments: and let us, like Menelaus, refuse to let them go until they
show themselves to us in earnest. When they begin to be in earnest their
full beauty will appear: let us then beg and entreat and beseech them to
shine forth. And I think that I had better once more exhibit the form in
which I pray to behold them; it might be a guide to them. I will go on
therefore where I left off, as well as I can, in the hope that I may touch
their hearts and move them to pity, and that when they see me deeply
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