| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: as a mere trick of an empiric, to induce her to press a larger
sum upon him, and willing that the scene should be commenced and
ended, offered some gold in turn, observing that it was only to
enlarge the sphere of his charity.
"Let Lady Bothwell enlarge the sphere of her own charity," said
the Paduan, "not merely in giving of alms, in which I know she is
not deficient, but in judging the character of others; and let
her oblige Baptista Damiotti by believing him honest, till she
shall discover him to be a knave. Do not be surprised, madam, if
I speak in answer to your thoughts rather than your expressions;
and tell me once more whether you have courage to look on what I
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from My Antonia by Willa Cather: looking in at us archly.
Antonia gasped and stepped back.
`Why, it's Lena! Of course I didn't know you, so dressed up!'
Lena Lingard laughed, as if this pleased her. I had not recognized
her for a moment, either. I had never seen her before with a hat on
her head--or with shoes and stockings on her feet, for that matter.
And here she was, brushed and smoothed and dressed like a town girl,
smiling at us with perfect composure.
`Hello, Jim,' she said carelessly as she walked into the kitchen and looked
about her. `I've come to town to work, too, Tony.'
`Have you, now? Well, ain't that funny" Antonia stood ill at ease,
My Antonia |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln: we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead,
who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power
to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember,
what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished
work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us. . .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . .
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . .
that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. . .
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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 Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: rupted by the interpreter.
"The mighty Mahars," he said, "are unable to reconcile
your statement that the document is lost with your
action in sending it to them by a special messenger.
They wish to know if you have so soon forgotten the
truth or if you are merely ignoring it."
"I sent them no document," I cried. "Ask them what
they mean."
"They say," he went on after conversing with the
Mahar for a moment, "that just before your return to
Phutra, Hooja the Sly One came, bringing the great
Pellucidar |
