| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dracula by Bram Stoker: and arranged the phonograph so that I could touch it without getting up,
and showed me how to stop it in case I should want to pause.
Then he very thoughtfully took a chair, with his back to me,
so that I might be as free as possible, and began to read.
I put the forked metal to my ears and listened.
When the terrible story of Lucy's death, and all that followed,
was done, I lay back in my chair powerless. Fortunately I am
not of a fainting disposition. When Dr. Seward saw me he jumped
up with a horrified exclamation, and hurriedly taking a case
bottle from the cupboard, gave me some brandy, which in a few
minutes somewhat restored me. My brain was all in a whirl,
Dracula |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: had still the key with him? But that's not all. I don't know,
Mr. Utterson, if you ever met this Mr. Hyde?"
"Yes," said the lawyer, "I once spoke with him."
"Then you must know as well as the rest of us that there was
something queer about that gentleman--something that gave a man
a turn--I don't know rightly how to say it, sir, beyond this:
that you felt in your marrow kind of cold and thin."
"I own I felt something of what you describe," said Mr.
Utterson.
"Quite so, sir," returned Poole. "Well, when that masked
thing like a monkey jumped from among the chemicals and whipped
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs: "Her Majesty, the Queen!"
Norman of Torn looked up in unfeigned surprise,
and then there came back to him the scene in the
Queen's apartment the night before. It was all a sore
perplexity to him; he could not fathom it, nor did he
attempt to.
And now, as in a dream, he saw the Queen of Eng-
land coming toward him across the small room, her
arms outstretched; her beautiful face radiant with hap-
piness and love.
"Richard, my son!" exclaimed Eleanor, coming to him
The Outlaw of Torn |
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 Options by O. Henry: like old Jerome.
I do not know whether immortality shall accrue to man; but if not so,
I would like to know when men like old Jerome get what is due them?
They met Nevada Warren at the station. She was a little girl, deeply
sunburned and wholesomely good-looking, with a manner that was frankly
unsophisticated, yet one that not even a cigar-drummer would intrude
upon without thinking twice. Looking at her, somehow you would expect
to see her in a short skirt and leather leggings, shooting glass balls
or taming mustangs. But in her plain white waist and black skirt she
sent you guessing again. With an easy exhibition of strength she
swung along a heavy valise, which the uniformed porters tried in vain
Options |
