| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: mistaken child, I have conscientiously discharged my duty to you as a
father--conscientiously, do I say? Most lovingly, my Emilie. Yes, God
knows! This winter I have brought before you more than one good man,
whose character, whose habits, and whose temper were known to me, and
all seemed worthy of you. My child, my task is done. From this day
forth you are the arbiter of your fate, and I consider myself both
happy and unhappy at finding myself relieved of the heaviest of
paternal functions. I know not whether you will for any long time,
now, hear a voice which, to you, has never been stern; but remember
that conjugal happiness does not rest so much on brilliant qualities
and ample fortune as on reciprocal esteem. This happiness is, in its
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs: "Say your prayers, my pigeons," he continued, with
a vile oath, "for The Black Wolf leaves no evidence
behind him to tie his neck with a halter later, and dead
men talk the least."
"If it be The Black Wolf," whispered Father Claude
to the boy, "no worse fate could befall us for he preys
ever upon the clergy, and when drunk as he now is,
he murders his victims. I will throw myself before them
while you hasten through the rear doorway to your
horse, and make good your escape." He spoke in French,
and held his hands in the attitude of prayer, so that
The Outlaw of Torn |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: lord in spain. (El rey nuestro y senor natural.)
Is he a king, senorita?"
"No, but he should be. Rosa, thou mayest have
my red cloak that came from Mexico--last year.
I have a new one and that is too small. I had
intended to give it to Ana Paula, but thou art a
good girl and should have a gay mantle for Sunday,
like the other girls. I have also a red ribbon for
thy hair--"
Rosa spilt half the contents of the chocolate pot
on the floor and Concha gave her a sound box on
Rezanov |
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 Tarzan the Untamed by Edgar Rice Burroughs: We should die of thirst and starvation before we had covered
half the distance, and if we return to the jungle, even were we
able to reach it, it would be but to court an equally certain,
though different, fate."
"So we might as well sit here and wait for death as to use-
lessly waste our energies in what we know would be a futile
attempt at escape?" he asked.
"No," she replied, "I shall never give up like that. What I
meant was that it was useless to attempt to reach either of the
places where we know that there is food and water in abun-
dance, so we must strike out in a new direction. Somewhere
Tarzan the Untamed |
