| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mansion by Henry van Dyke: "Thank you," said Harold. "Thank you very much! But there's
another
private affair. I want to get away from this life, this town,
this house.
It stifles me. You refused last summer when I asked you to let
me
go up to Grenfell's Mission on the Labrador. I could go now,
at least as far as the Newfoundland Station. Have you changed
your mind?"
"Not at all. I think it is an exceedingly foolish enterprise.
It would interrupt the career that I have marked out for you."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Somebody's Little Girl by Martha Young: And once when some one gave Bessie Bell a little round red apple she
caught her breath very quickly and her little heart jumped and then
thumped very loudly (that is the way it seemed to her) and she
remembered: Little apple trees all just alike, and little apple
trees in rows all just alike on top of those and again on top of
those until they came to a great row of big round red apples on top
of all.
Rut great grown people said: ``No, no, Bessie Bell, there are no
apple trees in all the world like that.''
And one time Bessie Bell was at a pretty house and somebody sat her
on a little low chair and said: `` Keep still, Bessie Bell.''
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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 Chita: A Memory of Last Island by Lafcadio Hearn: maganda!" ... Juan, the fastenings of those diamond ear-drops are
much too complicated for your peon fingers: tear them
out!--"Dispense, chulita!" ...
... Suddenly a long, mighty silver trilling fills the ears of
all: there is a wild hurrying and scurrying; swiftly, one after
another, the overburdened luggers spread wings and flutter away.
Thrice the great cry rings rippling through the gray air, and
over the green sea, and over the far-flooded shell-reefs, where
the huge white flashes are,--sheet-lightning of breakers,--and
over the weird wash of corpses coming in.
It is the steam-call of the relief-boat, hastening to rescue the
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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 The Odyssey by Homer: for in Elysium there falls not rain, nor hail, nor snow, but
Oceanus breathes ever with a West wind that sings softly from
the sea, and gives fresh life to all men. This will happen to
you because you have married Helen, and are Jove's son-in-law.'
"As he spoke he dived under the waves, whereon I turned back to
the ships with my companions, and my heart was clouded with care
as I went along. When we reached the ships we got supper ready,
for night was falling, and camped down upon the beach. When the
child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared, we drew our ships
into the water, and put our masts and sails within them; then we
went on board ourselves, took our seats on the benches, and
The Odyssey |
