The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Herland by Charlotte Gilman: "Oh Lord!" groaned Terry. "The Colonels! It's all up--they're
forty to one."
It was no use to fight. These women evidently relied on
numbers, not so much as a drilled force but as a multitude
actuated by a common impulse. They showed no sign of fear,
and since we had no weapons whatever and there were at least a
hundred of them, standing ten deep about us, we gave in as
gracefully as we might.
Of course we looked for punishment--a closer imprisonment,
solitary confinement maybe--but nothing of the kind happened.
They treated us as truants only, and as if they quite understood
 Herland |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin: for the young man, the lot was then recurred to. I objected,
if the matches are not made by the mutual choice of the parties,
some of them may chance to be very unhappy. "And so they may,"
answer'd my informer, "if you let the parties chuse for themselves;"
which, indeed, I could not deny.
Being returned to Philadelphia, I found the association went
on swimmingly, the inhabitants that were not Quakers having pretty
generally come into it, formed themselves into companies, and chose
their captains, lieutenants, and ensigns, according to the new law.
Dr. B. visited me, and gave me an account of the pains he had taken
to spread a general good liking to the law, and ascribed much to
 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin |
The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Tom Grogan by F. Hopkinson Smith: startled by an advertisement in the Rockville "Daily News," signed
by the clerk of the Board of Village Trustees, notifying
contractors that thirty days thereafter, closing at nine P.M.
precisely, separate sealed proposals would be received at the
meeting-room of the board, over the post-office, for the hauling
of twenty thousand cubic yards of fine crushed stone for use on
the public highways; bidders would be obliged to give suitable
bonds, etc.; certified check for five hundred dollars to accompany
each bid as guaranty, etc.
The news was a grateful surprise to the workingmen. The hauling
and placing of so large an amount of material as soon as spring
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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 Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: intend to make life a little more worth living for them and for
the cowboys of this range. To-morrow we shall talk it all over,
plan all the business details."
Madeline turned from the huge, ever-widening smile that beamed
down upon her and held out her hands to her brother.
"Alfred, strange, is it not, my coming out to you? Nay, don't
smile. I hope I have found myself--my work--my happiness--here
under the light of that western star."
VII Her Majesty's Rancho
FIVE months brought all that Stillwell had dreamed of, and so
many more changes and improvements and innovations that it was as
 The Light of Western Stars |