| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Padre Ignacio by Owen Wister: with its package containing his single worldly luxury.
As the little, ancient bronze bell continued swinging in the tower, its
plaintive call reached something in the Padre's memory. Softly, absently,
he began to sing. He took up the slow strain not quite correctly, and
dropped it, and took it up again, always in cadence with the bell.
[musical score appears here]
At length he heard himself, and, glancing at the belfry, smiled a little.
"It is a pretty tune," he said, "and it always made me sorry for poor Fra
Diavolo. Auber himself confessed to me that he had made it sad and put
the hermitage bell to go with it, because he too was grieved at having to
kill his villain, and wanted him, if possible, to die in a religious
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: noticed that they appeared to exchange but few words. He himself
offered his arm to Mrs. Vivian, who paced along with a little
lightly-wavering step, making observations upon the beauties of Baden
and the respective merits of the hotels.
CHAPTER IV
Which of them is it?" asked Longueville of his friend, after they
had bidden good-night to the three ladies and to Captain Lovelock,
who went off to begin, as he said, the evening. They stood,
when they had turned away from the door of Mrs. Vivian's lodgings,
in the little, rough-paved German street.
"Which of them is what?" Gordon asked, staring at his companion.
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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 Parmenides by Plato: Certainly not.
And therefore whatever comes into being in another must have parts, and
then one part may be in, and another part out of that other; but that which
has no parts can never be at one and the same time neither wholly within
nor wholly without anything.
True.
And is there not a still greater impossibility in that which has no parts,
and is not a whole, coming into being anywhere, since it cannot come into
being either as a part or as a whole?
Clearly.
Then it does not change place by revolving in the same spot, nor by going
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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 Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: And if she is a witch why is she scared of them
a-tall?"
But Martha says if you have second sight you
don't need to be a witch to see them in the day-
time.
Well, you can never tell about them ghosts.
Some says one thing and some says another. Old
Mis' Primrose, in our town, she always believed in
'em firm till her husband died. When he was dying
they fixed it up he was to come back and visit her.
She told him he had to, and he promised. And she
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