| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: county newspaper is sure to chronicle the fact next week. Mr.
Ernest Worthing and I are engaged to be married.
GWENDOLEN. [Quite politely, rising.] My darling Cecily, I think
there must be some slight error. Mr. Ernest Worthing is engaged to
me. The announcement will appear in the MORNING POST on Saturday
at the latest.
CECILY. [Very politely, rising.] I am afraid you must be under
some misconception. Ernest proposed to me exactly ten minutes ago.
[Shows diary.]
GWENDOLEN. [Examines diary through her lorgnettte carefully.] It
is certainly very curious, for he asked me to be his wife yesterday
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: well recompensed--not otherwise."
"To thy other virtues thou canst add, no doubt," said Varney, in
a jeering tone, "the knack of seeming serious and religious, when
the moment demands it?"
"It would cost me nothing," said Lambourne, "to say yes; but, to
speak on the square, I must needs say no. If you want a
hypocrite, you may take Anthony Foster, who, from his childhood,
had some sort of phantom haunting him, which he called religion,
though it was that sort of godliness which always ended in being
great gain. But I have no such knack of it."
"Well," replied Varney, "if thou hast no hypocrisy, hast thou not
Kenilworth |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Letters from England by Elizabeth Davis Bancroft: left the gentlemen, my first question to Mrs. Holland was the name
of her next neighbor. "Why, Mr. Macaulay," was her answer, and I
was pleased not to have been disappointed in a person of whom I had
heard so much. When the gentlemen came in I was introduced to him
and talked to him and heard him talk not a little.
These persons all came the next day to see us, which gave rise to
fresh invitations.
This morning we have been driving round to leave cards on the CORPS
DIPLOMATIQUE, and Mr. Harcourt has taken me all over the Athenaeum
Club-house, a superb establishment. They have given your father an
invitation to the Club, a privilege which is sometimes sought for
|
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 Spirit of the Border by Zane Grey: mob.
"Awful! Did you ever see human beings like these?" asked Zeisberger.
"No, no!"
"I saw such a frenzy once before, but, of course, only in a small band of
savages. Many times have I seen Indians preparing for the war-path, in search
of both white men and redskins. They were fierce then, but nothing like this.
Every one of these frenzied fiends is honest. Think of that! Every man feels
it his duty to murder these Christians. Girty has led up to this by cunning,
and now the time is come to let them loose."
"It means death for all."
"I have given up any thought of escaping," said Zeisberger, with the calmness
The Spirit of the Border |
