| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: that look on your face for half an hour--while I catch it!" he said.
"It is uncommonly handsome."
"To look handsome for half an hour--that is a great deal to ask
of me," she answered.
"It would be the portrait of a young woman who has taken some vow,
some pledge, that she repents of," said Felix, "and who is thinking
it over at leisure."
"I have taken no vow, no pledge," said Gertrude, very gravely;
"I have nothing to repent of."
"My dear cousin, that was only a figure of speech.
I am very sure that no one in your excellent family has anything
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Love Songs by Sara Teasdale: Dew
As dew leaves the cobweb lightly
Threaded with stars,
Scattering jewels on the fence
And the pasture bars;
As dawn leaves the dry grass bright
And the tangled weeds
Bearing a rainbow gem
On each of their seeds;
So has your love, my lover,
Fresh as the dawn,
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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 The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: 'My dear young lady, as this rapscallion told you today on the
boat, Uncle Ned has plenty,' said the Squirradical, 'and I can
never forget that you have been shamefully defrauded. So as
there's nobody looking, you had better give your Uncle Ned a
kiss. There, you rogue,' resumed Mr Bloomfield, when the ceremony
had been daintily performed, 'this very pretty young lady is
yours, and a vast deal more than you deserve. But now, let us get
back to the houseboat, get up steam on the launch, and away back
to town.'
'That's the thing!' cried Gideon; 'and tomorrow there will be no
houseboat, and no Jimson, and no carrier's cart, and no piano;
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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 Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: "You're jest lovely," said Ann Eliza.
Spring was making itself unmistakably known to the distrustful
New Yorker by an increased harshness of wind and prevalence of
dust, when one day Evelina entered the back room at supper-time
with a cluster of jonquils in her hand.
"I was just that foolish," she answered Ann Eliza's wondering
glance, "I couldn't help buyin' 'em. I felt as if I must have
something pretty to look at right away."
"Oh, sister," said Ann Eliza, in trembling sympathy. She felt
that special indulgence must be conceded to those in Evelina's
state since she had had her own fleeting vision of such mysterious
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