| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Night and Day by Virginia Woolf: some reason, much more nearly akin to the Hilberys than to other
people. They made a kind of boundary to her vision of life, and played
a considerable part in determining her scale of good and bad in her
own small affairs. Her descent from one of these gods was no surprise
to her, but matter for satisfaction, until, as the years wore on, the
privileges of her lot were taken for granted, and certain drawbacks
made themselves very manifest. Perhaps it is a little depressing to
inherit not lands but an example of intellectual and spiritual virtue;
perhaps the conclusiveness of a great ancestor is a little
discouraging to those who run the risk of comparison with him. It
seems as if, having flowered so splendidly, nothing now remained
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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 King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: "You'll find my card on the kitchen table," the old gentleman
called after them. "Remember, the LAST visit."
"Pray Heaven it may!" said Schwartz, shuddering. And the
foam globe disappeared.
Dawn came at last, and the two brothers looked out of Gluck's
little window in the morning. The Treasure Valley was one mass of
ruin and desolation. The inundation had swept away trees, crops,
and cattle, and left in their stead a waste of red sand and gray
mud. The two brothers crept shivering and horror-struck into the
kitchen. The water had gutted the whole first floor; corn, money,
almost every movable thing, had been swept away, and there was left
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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 Dreams & Dust by Don Marquis: Across the ranks of rain!
To arms! to arms! and put to flight
The Winter's broken train!"
She paused beside this selfsame rill,
And as she ceased, a daffodil
Held up reproachfully his head
And fluttered into speech, and said:
"Chide not the flowers! You little know
Of all their travail 'neath the snow,
Their struggling hours
Of choking sorrow underground.
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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 Mrs. Warren's Profession by George Bernard Shaw: turning it up to her]: I know you through and through by your
likeness to your father, better than you know yourself. Dont you
go taking any silly ideas into your head about me. Do you hear?
FRANK [gallantly wooing her with his voice] Cant help it, my dear
Mrs Warren: it runs in the family.
[She pretends to box his ears; then looks at the pretty laughing
upturned face of a moment, tempted. At last she kisses him, and
immediately turns away, out of patience with herself.]
MRS WARREN. There! I shouldnt have done that. I a m wicked.
Never you mind, my dear: it's only a motherly kiss. Go and make
love to Vivie.
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