| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: former life.
"Then you'll have to go?" came at last from Ann Eliza.
Evelina stared. "You wouldn't have me interfere with his
prospects, would you?"
"No--no. I on'y meant--has it got to be so soon?"
"Right away, I tell you--next week. Ain't it awful?" blushed
the bride.
Well, this was what happened to mothers. They bore it, Ann
Eliza mused; so why not she? Ah, but they had their own chance
first; she had had no chance at all. And now this life which she
had made her own was going from her forever; had gone, already, in
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Across The Plains by Robert Louis Stevenson: memories, and when the theft is consummated depart again into life
richer, but poorer also. The forest, indeed, they have possessed,
from that day forward it is theirs indissolubly, and they will
return to walk in it at night in the fondest of their dreams, and
use it for ever in their books and pictures. Yet when they made
their packets, and put up their notes and sketches, something, it
should seem, had been forgotten. A projection of themselves shall
appear to haunt unfriended these scenes of happiness, a natural
child of fancy, begotten and forgotten unawares. Over the whole
field of our wanderings such fetches are still travelling like
indefatigable bagmen; but the imps of Fontainebleau, as of all
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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 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather: owned by the rich men in town, and couldn't be
bought. Most of the land is rough and hilly.
They can always scrape along down there, but
they can never do anything big. Down there
they have a little certainty, but up with us
there is a big chance. We must have faith in
the high land, Emil. I want to hold on harder
than ever, and when you're a man you'll thank
me." She urged Brigham forward.
When the road began to climb the first long
O Pioneers! |
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 The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: "I am . . . unhappy," he said. After a moment of silence which
gave to Mrs. Travers the time to wonder how it was that this man
had succeeded in penetrating into the very depths of her
compassion, he hit the table such a blow that all the heavy
muskets seemed to jump a little.
Mrs. Travers heard Hassim pronounce a few words earnestly, and a
moan of distress from Immada.
"I believed in you before you . . . before you gave me your
confidence," she began. "You could see that. Could you not?"
He looked at her fixedly. "You are not the first that believed in
me," he said.
The Rescue |
