| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Master Key by L. Frank Baum: Saturday, he completed his flying trip around the world by alighting
unobserved upon the well-trimmed lawn of his own home.
19. Rob Makes a Resolution
When Rob opened the front door he came face to face with Nell, who
gave an exclamation of joy and threw herself into his arms.
"Oh, Rob!" she cried, "I'm so glad you've come. We have all been
dreadfully worried about you, and mother--"
"Well, what about mother?" inquired the boy, anxiously, as she paused.
"She's been very ill, Rob; and the doctor said to-day that unless we
heard from you soon he would not be able to save her life. The
uncertainty about you is killing her."
The Master Key |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Twice Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: point of cutting each other's throats for her sake. And, before
proceeding further, I will merely hint that Dr. Heidegger and all
his foul guests were sometimes thought to be a little beside
themselves,--as is not unfrequently the case with old people,
when worried either by present troubles or woful recollections.
"My dear old friends," said Dr. Heidegger, motioning them to be
seated, "I am desirous of your assistance in one of those little
experiments with which I amuse myself here in my study."
If all stories were true, Dr. Heidegger's study must have been a
very curious place. It was a dim, old-fashioned chamber,
festooned with cobwebs, and besprinkled with antique dust. Around
Twice Told Tales |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Letters from England by Elizabeth Davis Bancroft: exploding cotton, the new planet, a subject which he put at rest as
"FAR BEYOND OUR REACH," etc., etc. He then introduced one by one
the children of all ages as "Days" of the coming year. There was
TWELFTH DAY, crowned as Queen with her cake in her hands; there was
CHRISTMAS, covered with holly and mistletoe; there was APRIL FOOL'S
DAY, dressed as Harlequin; there was, above all, SHROVE TUESDAY,
with her frying-pan of pancakes, dressed as a little cook; there was
a charming boy of fourteen or fifteen, as ST. VALENTINE'S DAY with
his packet of valentines addressed to the young ladies present;
there was the 5TH OF NOVEMBER, full of wit and fun, etc.; the
longest day, an elder brother, of William's height, with a cap of
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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: "A little piece of a dead crow," was Bruno's mournful reply.
"He means rook-pie," Sylvie explained.
"It were a dead crow," Bruno persisted. "And there were a apple-pudding
--and Uggug ate it all--and I got nuffin but a crust! And I asked for
a orange--and--didn't get it!" And the poor little fellow buried his face
in Sylvie's lap, who kept gently stroking his hair,as she went on.
"It's all true, Professor dear! They do treat my darling Bruno very badly!
And they're not kind to me either," she added in a lower tone,
as if that were a thing of much less importance.
The Professor got out a large red silk handkerchief, and wiped his eyes.
"I wish I could help you, dear children!" he said. "But what can I do?"
Sylvie and Bruno |
