| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Master Key by L. Frank Baum: "I think of making a trip this morning," said Rob, carelessly.
"Where to?"
"Oh, I may go to Boston, or take a run over to Cuba or Jamaica,"
replied the boy.
"But you can not go so far by yourself," declared his father; "and
there is no one to go with you, just now. Nor can I spare the money
at present for so expensive a trip."
"Oh, it won't cost anything," replied Rob, with a smile.
Mr. Joslyn looked upon him gravely and sighed. Mrs. Joslyn bent over
her son with tears in her eyes and said:
"This electrical nonsense has affected your mind, dear. You must
The Master Key |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Vendetta by Honore de Balzac: trembled, but his eyes flashed lightnings. Ginevra alone was able to
endure his glance, for her eyes flamed also, and the daughter was
worthy of the sire.
"Oh! to love you! What man is worthy of such a life?" continued
Piombo. "To love you as a father is paradise on earth; who is there
worthy to be your husband?"
"HE," said Ginevra; "he of whom I am not worthy."
"He?" repeated Piombo, mechanically; "who is HE?"
"He whom I love."
"How can he know you enough to love you?"
"Father," said Ginevra, with a gesture of impatience, "whether he
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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 Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: pirate."
"Not really! A walk-the-plank kind?"
"I daresay he made people walk the plank if there was any money to
be made that way. At any rate, he made enough money to leave my
father quite wealthy. But the family always referred to him
carefully as a 'sea captain.' He was killed in a saloon brawl long
before I was born. His death was, needless to say, a great relief
to his children, for the old gentleman was drunk most of the time
and when in his cups was apt to forget that he was a retired sea
captain and give reminiscences that curled his children's hair.
However, I admired him and tried to copy him far more than I ever
Gone With the Wind |
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 Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed by Edna Ferber: or perky old women with nutcracker faces; or girls with
wide humorous mouths. Oh, it couldn't be done, I
suppose. They would clap me in a padded cell in no time
if I were to say:
"Mister Red-headed Man, I'm so glad your heart is
young enough for Dickens. I love him too--enough to read
him standing at a book counter in a busy shop. And do
you know, I like the squareness of your jaw, and the way
your eyes crinkle up when you laugh; and as for your
being an engineer--why one of the very first men I ever
loved was the engineer in `Soldiers of Fortune.'"
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