| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Captain Stormfield by Mark Twain: Duffer, Baronet."
"What, Sandy, a nobleman from Hoboken? How is that?"
"Easy enough. Duffer kept a sausage-shop and never saved a cent in
his life because he used to give all his spare meat to the poor, in
a quiet way. Not tramps, - no, the other sort - the sort that will
starve before they will beg - honest square people out of work.
Dick used to watch hungry-looking men and women and children, and
track them home, and find out all about them from the neighbors,
and then feed them and find them work. As nobody ever saw him give
anything to anybody, he had the reputation of being mean; he died
with it, too, and everybody said it was a good riddance; but the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: run its course, repeated by their desperate deed the former
calamity of their forefathers, who after the very same manner in
the Persian war had fired their city and destroyed themselves.
Brutus, after this, finding the Patareans resolved to make
resistance and hold out their city against him, was very
unwilling to besiege it, and was in great perplexity lest the
same frenzy might seize them too. But having in his power some
of their women, who were his prisoners, he dismissed them all
without any ransom; who, returning and giving an account to
their husbands and fathers, who were of the greatest rank, what
an excellent man Brutus was how temperate and how just,
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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 Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: Iuli. Come hither Nurse,
What is yond Gentleman:
Nur. The Sonne and Heire of old Tyberio
Iuli. What's he that now is going out of doore?
Nur. Marrie that I thinke be young Petruchio
Iul. What's he that follows here that would not dance?
Nur. I know not
Iul. Go aske his name: if he be married,
My graue is like to be my wedded bed
Nur. His name is Romeo, and a Mountague,
The onely Sonne of your great Enemie
Romeo and Juliet |
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 Hermione's Little Group of Serious Thinkers by Don Marquis: and moons
Dance through my soul like flakes of colored glass!"
Then waved the toe called Life, and as with one
accord each of the company
Leapt gasping to his or her feet, as the case might
be,
And cried: "I feel! I feel! I feel! I feel the Cos-
mic Urge!"
Then moved the toe called Italy,
And Fothergil Finch remarked: "Roses . . .
roses . . . roses . . .
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