| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: "Did he tell you that too?" Even to her own ears there was a
faint sneer in the interrogation.
"Yes, he did," said Evelina, dropping her lids with a smile.
"He seemed to be just crazy to talk to somebody--somebody
agreeable, I mean. I think the man's unhappy, Ann Eliza."
"So do I," broke from the elder sister.
"He seems such an educated man, too. He was reading the paper
when I went in. Ain't it sad to think of his being reduced to that
little store, after being years at Tiff'ny's, and one of the head
men in their clock-department?"
"He told you all that?"
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Complete Poems of Longfellow by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Till in flame they burst and kindled;
And erect upon the mountains,
Gitche Manito, the mighty,
Smoked the calumet, the Peace-Pipe,
As a signal to the nations.
And the smoke rose slowly, slowly,
Through the tranquil air of morning,
First a single line of darkness,
Then a denser, bluer vapor,
Then a snow-white cloud unfolding,
Like the tree-tops of the forest,
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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 Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: account may be definitely settled."
He spoke with such calm conviction that his words had all the sound
of a sentence of death. They suddenly stemmed the flow of M. de
Kercadiou's anger. The colour receded from his inflamed face;
dread looked out of his pale eyes, to inform M. de La Tour d'Azyr,
more clearly than any words, that M. de Kercadiou's hot speech had
been the expression of unreflecting anger, that his prayer that
retribution might soon overtake his godson had been unconsciously
insincere. Confronted now by the fact that this retribution was
about to be visited upon that scoundrel, the fundamental gentleness
and kindliness of his nature asserted itself; his anger was suddenly
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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 Vailima Letters by Robert Louis Stevenson: his resignation! Sad little President, so trim to look at,
and I believe so kind to his little wife! Not only so, but I
meet D. on the beach. D. calls me in consultation, and we
make with infinite difficulty a draft of a petition to the
King. . . . Then to dinner at M.'s, a very merry meal,
interrupted before it was over by the arrival of the
committee. Slight sketch of procedure agreed upon, self
appointed spokesman, and the deputation sets off. Walk all
through Matafele, all along Mulinuu, come to the King's
house; he has verbally refused to see us in answer to our
letter, swearing he is gase-gase (chief-sickness, not common
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