| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: little business chat afterward."
But what professional matter could have come up at that
unprofessional hour? Perhaps some other soul in misery had
called on the lawyer; and, after all, Granice's note had given no
hint of his own need! No doubt Ascham thought he merely wanted
to make another change in his will. Since he had come into his
little property, ten years earlier, Granice had been perpetually
tinkering with his will.
Suddenly another thought pulled him up, sending a flush to his
sallow temples. He remembered a word he had tossed to the lawyer
some six weeks earlier, at the Century Club. "Yes--my play's as
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Desert Gold by Zane Grey: He did not stay long. Then for years nothing was heard of either
of them. When word did come Nell was in Oklahoma, Burton was in Denver.
There's chance, of course, that Burton followed Nell and married her.
That would account for Nell Warren taking the name of Burton. But it
isn't likely. None of us ever heard of such a thing and wouldn't have
believed it if we had. The affair seemed destined to end unfortunately.
But Belding, while I'm at it, I want to say that Nell Warren was one of
the sweetest, finest, truest girls in the world. If she drifted to
the Southwest and kept her past a secret that was only natural.
Certainly it should not be held against her. Why, she was only
a child--a girl--seventeen--eighteen years old....In a moment of
Desert Gold |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner: because there was a certain harmony about them? The old sow was suited to
the little pigs, and the little pigs to their mother, the old boar to the
rotten pumpkin, and all to the mud. They suggested the thought of nothing
that should be added, of nothing that should be taken away. And, he
wondered on vaguely, was not that the secret of all beauty, that you who
look on-- So he stood dreaming, and leaned further and further over the
sod wall, and looked at the pigs.
All this time Bonaparte Blenkins was sloping down from the house in an
aimless sort of way; but he kept one eye fixed on the pigsty, and each
gyration brought him nearer to it. Waldo stood like a thing asleep when
Bonaparte came close up to him.
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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 The Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: well and fair; but they bring forth no fructuous thing, and the
leaves of balm fall not. And men cut the branches with a sharp
flintstone, or with a sharp bone, when men will go to cut them; for
whoso cut them with iron, it would destroy his virtue and his
nature.
And the Saracens crepe the wood ENONCH-BALSE, and the fruit, the
which is as cubebs, they clepe ABEBISSAM, and the liquor that
droppeth from the branches they clepe GUYBALSE. And men make
always that balm to be tilled of the Christian men, or else it
would not fructify; as the Saracens say themselves, for it hath
been often-time proved. Men say also, that the balm groweth in Ind
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