| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: vanish from the little Babylon at Whitehall, and settle in peace at
Burrough. In her he found a treasure, and he knew what he had
found.
Mrs. Leigh was, and had been from her youth, one of those noble old
English churchwomen, without superstition, and without severity,
who are among the fairest features of that heroic time. There was
a certain melancholy about her, nevertheless; for the recollections
of her childhood carried her back to times when it was an awful
thing to be a Protestant. She could remember among them, five-and-
twenty years ago, the burning of poor blind Joan Waste at Derby,
and of Mistress Joyce Lewis, too, like herself, a lady born; and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens: observing increased caution, if that were possible, to live again
unknown, in secrecy and peace.
They reached, in course of time, their halting-place within ten
miles of London, and lay there for the night, after bargaining to
be carried on for a trifle next day, in a light van which was
returning empty, and was to start at five o'clock in the morning.
The driver was punctual, the road good--save for the dust, the
weather being very hot and dry--and at seven in the forenoon of
Friday the second of June, one thousand seven hundred and eighty,
they alighted at the foot of Westminster Bridge, bade their
conductor farewell, and stood alone, together, on the scorching
Barnaby Rudge |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: "I know, I know," he panted. "I'd forgotten. I'm unstrung, Mr.
Annixter, and I'm running for my life. They're not ten minutes
behind me."
"Come on, come on," shouted Annixter, dashing stablewards, his
suspenders flying.
"Here's a horse."
"Mine?" exclaimed Presley. "He wouldn't carry you a mile."
Annixter was already far ahead, trumpeting orders.
"The buckskin," he yelled. "Get her out, Billy. Where's the
stable-man? Get out that buckskin. Get out that saddle."
Then followed minutes of furious haste, Presley, Annixter, Billy
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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 Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy: the service.
Father Seraphim, the deacon, the acolytes, and Sofya Ivanovna, a
lady who always lived near the hermitage and tended Father
Sergius, begged him to bring the service to an end.
'No, there's nothing the matter,' said Father Sergius, slightly
smiling from beneath his moustache and continuing the service.
'Yes, that is the way the Saints behave!' thought he.
'A holy man--an angel of God!' he heard just then the voice of
Sofya Ivanovna behind him, and also of the merchant who had
supported him. He did not heed their entreaties, but went on
with the service. Again crowding together they all made their
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