| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Schoolmistress and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov: "What money? Be off! Come on Saturday! Boy, give him a cuff!"
But he at once recalled what a life the customers used to lead
him, too, and he felt heavy at heart, and to distract his
attention he took a fat pocketbook out of his pocket and began
counting his money. There was a great deal of money, but Fyodor
wanted more still. The devil in the blue spectacles brought him
another notebook fatter still, but he wanted even more; and the
more he counted it, the more discontented he became.
In the evening the evil one brought him a full-bosomed lady in a
red dress, and said that this was his new wife. He spent the
whole evening kissing her and eating gingerbreads, and at night
The Schoolmistress and Other Stories |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Voice of the City by O. Henry: ism at the post.
For, whereas, spring's couriers were once the evi-
dence of our finer senses, now the Associated Press
does the trick.
The warble of the first robin in Hackensack, the
stirring of the maple sap in Bennington, the bud-
ding of the pussy willows along Main Street in Syra-
cuse, the first chirp of the bluebird, the swan song
of the Blue Point, the annual tornado in St. Louis,
the plaint of the peach pessimist from Pompton, N.
J., the regular visit of the tame wild goose with a
The Voice of the City |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Jolly Corner by Henry James: main capital, with an income consisting, in these later years, of
their respective rents which (thanks precisely to their original
excellent type) had never been depressingly low. He could live in
"Europe," as he had been in the habit of living, on the product of
these flourishing New York leases, and all the better since, that
of the second structure, the mere number in its long row, having
within a twelvemonth fallen in, renovation at a high advance had
proved beautifully possible.
These were items of property indeed, but he had found himself since
his arrival distinguishing more than ever between them. The house
within the street, two bristling blocks westward, was already in
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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 Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: and the loyal demonstrations of the citizens. Weary of civil
strife, depressed with fear of Cromwell's severities, and
distrustful of the Presbyterians, who chiefly composed the young
king's army, the Royalists had not gathered to his standard in
such numbers as he had anticipated. His troops, since leaving
Scotland, had been reinforced merely by two thousand men; but
Charles had hopes that fresh recruits would join him when news of
the rising got noised abroad.
The Republicans were filled with dismay at the king's determined
action, but were prompt to make a counter-move, Accordingly,
additional troops were levied, London was left to be defended by
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