| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: bringing the moon's silver to our very feet. I bent toward the
girl.
"I am going to ask just one question."
"Anything you like." Her voice was almost dreary. "Was it because
of anything you are going to tell me that you refused Richey?"
She drew her breath in sharply.
"No," she said, without looking at me. "No. That was not the
reason."
CHAPTER XXVIII
ALISON'S STORY
She told her story evenly, with her eyes on the water, only now
The Man in Lower Ten |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: of the strongest birds to penetrate, and accordingly large
swarms had left the island, and, following the human population,
had taken refuge on the volcanic promontory; not that there
the barren shore had anything in the way of nourishment
to offer them, but their instinct impelled them to haunt now
the very habitations which formerly they would have shunned.
Scraps of food were thrown to them from the galleries;
these were speedily devoured, but were altogether inadequate
in quantity to meet the demand. At length, emboldened by hunger,
several hundred birds ventured through the tunnel, and took up their
quarters actually in Nina's Hive. Congregating in the large hall,
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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 A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: away from me with a sigh, and with her earnest, beautiful
face turned up to mine, she whispered: "I believe you, John
Carter; I do not know what a 'gentleman' is, nor have I ever
he does not wish to speak the truth he is silent. Where is
this Virginia, your country, John Carter?" she asked, and it
seemed that this fair name of my fair land had never sounded
more beautiful than as it fell from those perfect lips on that
far-gone day.
"I am of another world," I answered, "the great planet
Earth, which revolves about our common sun and next within
the orbit of your Barsoom, which we know as Mars. How I
|
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 Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence: He was silent with conceit of his son. Mrs. Morel sniffed,
as if it were nothing.
"And when does he handle th' money?" asked the collier.
"That I couldn't tell you. When the picture is sent home,
I suppose."
There was silence. Morel stared at the sugar-basin instead
of eating his dinner. His black arm, with the hand all gnarled
with work lay on the table. His wife pretended not to see him rub
the back of his hand across his eyes, nor the smear in the coal-dust
on his black face.
"Yes, an' that other lad 'ud 'a done as much if they hadna
Sons and Lovers |
