| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: whispered to Cyril, "He's getting a bit deaf, you know." Then she leaned
forward and really bawled at Grandfather Pinner, "Cyril only wanted to tell
you, father dear, that his father is still very fond of meringues."
Colonel Pinner heard that time, heard and brooded, looking Cyril up and
down.
"What an esstrordinary thing!" said old Grandfather Pinner. "What an
esstrordinary thing to come all this way here to tell me!"
And Cyril felt it was.
"Yes, I shall send Cyril the watch," said Josephine.
"That would be very nice," said Constantia. "I seem to remember last time
he came there was some little trouble about the time."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: non potest satis gratiae rependi, that is, To God, to parents, and to
teachers we can never render sufficient gratitude and compensation. He
that regards and considers this will indeed without compulsion do all
honor to his parents, and bear them up on his hands as those through
whom God has done him all good.
Over and above all this, another great reason that should incite us the
more [to obedience to this commandment] is that God attaches to this
commandment a temporal promise and says: That thou mayest live long
upon the land which the Lord, thy God, giveth thee.
Here you can see yourself how much God is in earnest in respect to this
commandment, inasmuch as He not only declares that it is well pleasing
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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 A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac: for self-love and vanity give tongues to half the attorneys."
At this time Clapart, who was ill, was being nursed by his wife,--a
painful task, a duty without reward. The sick man tormented the poor
creature, who was now doomed to learn what venomous and spiteful
teasing a half-imbecile man, whom poverty had rendered craftily
savage, could be capable of in the weary tete-a-tete of each endless
day. Delighted to turn a sharpened arrow in the sensitive heart of the
mother, he had, in a measure, studied the fears that Oscar's behavior
and defects inspired in the poor woman. When a mother receives from
her child a shock like that of the affair at Presles, she continues in
a state of constant fear, and, by the manner in which his wife boasted
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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 Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: a young woman with soft, patient, brown eyes, the
dignity of her race and the sweetness of young
motherhood, who would have looked little older
than herself had it not been for an already shape-
less figure. "I can take you to-morrow to see them
if you wish."
She had cast down her eyes and her face was
white. Still he groped on.
"Pardon me if I say that I am surprised your
parents should permit such a woman as this Rosa
to attend you. Why should your happy life be dis-
Rezanov |
