| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: "To whom it may concern:
"This may certify that I have been for some time acquainted with
my friend Mr. Simon Sneed, and I believe him to be an honest and
faithful young man, of gentlemanly bearing, pleasing address, and
polite manners, who will be an honor and an ornament to any
establishment that may be so fortunate as to secure his valuable
services; and I cheerfully recommend him to any person to whom he
may apply for a situation. Mayor of Boston."
"I have left a blank space for his honor's signature," continued
Master Simon, when he had read the modest document. "What do you
think of it, Katy?"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: the basket. "Twelve," he said. "Sixteen yesterday. Now you go along
and turn in the first right-hand turn, and I'll be up with you soon.
Maybe you might make room for the trout." Room for him as well, they
assured him; they were in luck to find him, they explained. "Well, I
guess I'll trust my neck with you," he said to Bertie, the skillful
driver; "'tain't five minutes' risk." The buggy leaned, and its springs
bent as he climbed in, wedging his mature bulk between their slim
shapes. The gelding looked round the shaft at them. "Protestin', are
you?" he said to it. "These light-weight stoodents spile you!" So the
gelding went on, expressing, however, by every line of its body, a sense
of outraged justice. The boys related their difficult search, and
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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 Records of a Family of Engineers by Robert Louis Stevenson: know what kind of providence the baker thought it!' cried my
grandfather.
But the sally must have been unique. In all else that I
have heard or read of him, so far from criticising, he was
doing his utmost to honour and even to emulate his wife's
pronounced opinions. In the only letter which has come to my
hand of Thomas Smith's, I find him informing his wife that he
was `in time for afternoon church'; similar assurances or
cognate excuses abound in the correspondence of Robert
Stevenson; and it is comical and pretty to see the two
generations paying the same court to a female piety more
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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 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: mahogany furniture: it was a parlour, not so spacious or splendid
as the drawing-room at Gateshead, but comfortable enough. I was
puzzling to make out the subject of a picture on the wall, when the
door opened, and an individual carrying a light entered; another
followed close behind.
The first was a tall lady with dark hair, dark eyes, and a pale and
large forehead; her figure was partly enveloped in a shawl, her
countenance was grave, her bearing erect.
"The child is very young to be sent alone," said she, putting her
candle down on the table. She considered me attentively for a
minute or two, then further added -
Jane Eyre |
