| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: detected. When it was, the princess once again played audience to
violent anger. The traders yelled and cursed the girl; then they
beat her with fists and even with sticks, accompanied by more curses
and threats; but nothing they could do could force her to tell what
she had done with the baby. The traders, remembering the promises
made to them by the king to encourage the secrecy of their charges,
and fearing the consequences of a breach of that secrecy, sent
riders back over the route they had traveled, to search everywhere.
Meanwhile an old woodcutter, who lived in the hut with his wife,
found the baby and brought it inside. As they looked upon the
beautiful, healthy child, their eyes shone with a sparkle that they
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Elizabeth and her German Garden by Marie Annette Beauchamp: since he has been here, and said, "Do I look like Graf X- --(a great
local celebrity), or like a monkey?" After which there was nothing
for it but to get him into an asylum as expeditiously as possible.
There was no gardener to be had in his place, and I have only
just succeeded in getting one; so that what with the drought,
and the <46> neglect, and the gardener's madness, and my blunders,
the garden is in a sad condition; but even in a sad condition it
is the dearest place in the world, and all my mistakes only make
me more determined to persevere.
The long borders, where the rockets were, are looking dreadful.
The rockets have done flowering, and, after the manner of rockets:
Elizabeth and her German Garden |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland: in boys?" we inquired of Chi.
"The hawk catching the young chicks," said the matter-of-fact
boy, answering my question and directing the boys at the same
time.
The children selected one of their number to represent the
hawk and another the hen, the latter being one of the largest
and best natured of the group, and one to whom the small
boys naturally looked for protection.
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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 Massimilla Doni by Honore de Balzac: till Clara's voice had been fully trained by a famous professor, and
till she was sixteen, before taking toll of the treasure so carefully
cultivated.
La Tinti had made her debut the year before, and had enchanted the
three most fastidious capitals of Italy.
"I am perfectly certain that her great nobleman is not my husband,"
said the Duchess.
The horses were ordered, and the Duchess set out at once for Venice,
to be present at the opening of the winter season.
So one fine evening in November, the new Prince of Varese was crossing
the lagoon from Mestre to Venice, between the lines of stakes painted
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