| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "Why did he come home in a gray suit, when he went away in a blue?"
he repeated. "Well, wrecks are queer things, Mrs. Klopton. The suit
may have turned gray with fright. Or perhaps wrecks do as queer
stunts as lightning. Friend of mine once was struck by lightning; he
and the caddy had taken refuge under a tree. After the flash, when
they recovered consciousness, there was my friend in the caddy's
clothes, and the caddy in his. And as my friend was a large man
and the caddy a very small boy - "
McKnight's story was interrupted by the indignant slam of the
dining-room door. He was obliged to wait some time, and even his
eternal cheerfulness was ebbing when he finally got the hospital.
The Man in Lower Ten |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: cross because I get lost so often. But I can find my
Rainbow just as quickly while traveling in the Munchkin
Country as I could if living in the Emerald City -- or
any other place in Oz -- so I shall go with the Tin
Woodman and help him woo Nimmie Amee."
Dorothy wanted to go, too, but as the Tin Woodman did
not invite her to join his party, she felt she might be
intruding if she asked to be taken. she hinted, but she
found he didn't take the hint. It is quite a delicate
matter for one to ask a girl to marry him, however much
she loves him, and perhaps the Tin Woodman did not
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: the iron ore, molten in the great furnaces of Coldspring, and
brought into contact with coal and silicium heated to a high
temperature, was carburized and transformed into cast iron.
After this first operation, the metal was sent on to Stones Hill.
They had, however, to deal with 136,000,000 pounds of iron, a
quantity far too costly to send by railway. The cost of
transport would have been double that of material. It appeared
preferable to freight vessels at New York, and to load them with
the iron in bars. This, however, required not less than sixty-
eight vessels of 1,000 tons, a veritable fleet, which, quitting
New York on the 3rd of May, on the 10th of the same month ascended
From the Earth to the Moon |
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 Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: I came to fetch her we decided upon Anglebury,
forgetting that a new license would be necessary.
There was not time to get to Budmouth afterwards."
"I think you are very much to blame," said Mrs. Yeobright.
"It was quite my fault we chose Anglebury," Thomasin pleaded.
"I proposed it because I was not known there."
"I know so well that I am to blame that you need not
remind me of it," replied Wildeve shortly.
"Such things don't happen for nothing," said the aunt.
"It is a great slight to me and my family; and when it
gets known there will be a very unpleasant time for us.
Return of the Native |
