| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: that are madly outstretched to grasp it, and forces His pity and
forgiveness on the unwilling soul. Finding that it was the
principle of LIFE which grew stronger within him, the young man
at last meditated an awful crime. The thought of self-destruction
haunted him day and night. He lingered around the wharves, gazing
into the deep waters, and was restrained from the deed only by the
memory of the last loving voice he had heard. One gloomy evening,
when even this memory had faded, and he awaited the approaching
darkness to make his design secure, a hand was laid on his arm. A
man in the simple garb of the Friends stood beside him, and a face
which reflected the kindness of the Divine Father looked upon
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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 Court Life in China by Isaac Taylor Headland: the eldest son were anxious to have her do so, and thus be
recognized as one of the family. But this son objected, and
though Lady Li knocked her head on the coffin until it bled he
would not yield, lest she might want her portion."
"And what has become of your sister? How is it that I have never
seen her?"
"She withdrew to a small court, where she has lived with none but
her women servants, not even seeing our father or brothers, and
not allowing a male servant to go near her. And she will not
permit the word Li to be spoken in her presence."
"And what does she do?" I asked. "How does she employ herself?"
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