| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson: White-robed in honour of the stainless child,
And some with scattered jewels, like a bank
Of maiden snow mingled with sparks of fire.
He looked but once, and vailed his eyes again.
The sudden trumpet sounded as in a dream
To ears but half-awaked, then one low roll
Of Autumn thunder, and the jousts began:
And ever the wind blew, and yellowing leaf
And gloom and gleam, and shower and shorn plume
Went down it. Sighing weariedly, as one
Who sits and gazes on a faded fire,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: grandchildren about her knee, she delighted to tell them that when girl she
had run the gauntlet of the Indians.
Col. Zane became the friend of all redmen. He maintained a trading-post for
many years, and his dealings were ever kind and honorable. After the country
got settled he received from time to time various marks of distinction from
the State, Colonial, and National governments. His most noted achievement was
completed about 1796. President Washington, desiring to open a National road
from Fort Henry to Maysville, Kentucky, paid a great tribute to Col. Zane's
ability by employing him to undertake the arduous task. His brother Jonathan
and the Indian guide, Tomepomehala, rendered valuable aid in blazing out the
path through the wilderness. This road, famous for many years as Zane's Trace,
Betty Zane |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde: approve of children dreaming.
One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends
had gone away to Egypt six weeks before, but he had stayed behind,
for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He had met her
early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big
yellow moth, and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he
had stopped to talk to her.
"Shall I love you?" said the Swallow, who liked to come to the
point at once, and the Reed made him a low bow. So he flew round
and round her, touching the water with his wings, and making silver
ripples. This was his courtship, and it lasted all through the
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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 Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: kind of aggervating at me and says some poetry
at me about in the spring a young man's frenzy
likely turns to thoughts of love.
"Well," I says, kind of sheepish-like, "this is
summer-time, and purty nigh autumn." Then I
seen I'd jest as good as owned up I liked Martha,
and was kind of mad at myself fur that. But I
told him some more about her, too. Somehow
I jest couldn't help it. He laughs at me and goes
on into the tent.
I laid there and looked at the fire fur quite a
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