| 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: As I learned more and more to appreciate what these women
had accomplished, the less proud I was of what we, with all our
manhood, had done.
You see, they had had no wars. They had had no kings, and
no priests, and no aristocracies. They were sisters, and as they
grew, they grew together--not by competition, but by united action.
We tried to put in a good word for competition, and they
were keenly interested. Indeed, we soon found from their earnest
questions of us that they were prepared to believe our world must
be better than theirs. They were not sure; they wanted to know;
but there was no such arrogance about them as might have been expected.
Herland |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: understand, I am a-telling you from hearsay, as
the lawyers always asts you in court.
Elmira, she sings out:
"Kittens, nothing! It's a baby!"
And she opens the basket and looks in and it was
me.
"Hennerey Walters," she says -- picking me
up, and shaking me at him like I was a crime, "Hen-
nerey Walters, where did you get this here baby?"
She always calls him Hennerey when she is getting
ready to give him fits.
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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 Sarrasine by Honore de Balzac: lips; and that completely disconcerted him; he stopped in the middle
of the aria he was singing and sat down. Cardinal Cicognara, who had
watched from the corner of his eye the direction of his /protege's/
glance, saw the Frenchman; he leaned toward one of his ecclesiastical
aides-de-camp, and apparently asked the sculptor's name. When he had
obtained the reply he desired he scrutinized the artist with great
attention and gave orders to an /abbe/, who instantly disappeared.
Meanwhile Zambinella, having recovered his self-possession, resumed
the aria he had so capriciously broken off; but he sang badly, and
refused, despite all the persistent appeals showered upon him, to sing
anything else. It was the first time he had exhibited that humorsome
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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 A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: there was a sharp explosion as the missile reached its goal, and
the charging chieftain pitched backward from his flying
mount.
Springing to my feet I urged the thoat to rise, and directed
Sola to take Dejah Thoris with her upon him and make a
mighty effort to reach the hills before the green warriors were
upon us. I knew that in the ravines and gullies they might
find a temporary hiding place, and even though they died
there of hunger and thirst it would be better so than that
they fell into the hands of the Tharks. Forcing my two
revolvers upon them as a slight means of protection, and,
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