| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart: him. They turned on him in the most heartless way--even Miss
Patty--and demanded that he give them special privileges--
breakfast when they wanted it, and Mr. Sam the key to the
bar. And he stood firm, as he had that day in the lobby, and let
the storm beat around him, looking mostly at Miss Patty. It was
more than I could bear.
"Shame on all of you!" I said. "He's done what he promised he'd
do, and more. If he did what he ought, he'd leave this minute,
and let you find out for yourself what it is to drive thirty-odd
different stomachs and the same number of bad dispositions in one
direction."
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: Likely to be right--wasn't it? Never a hint to me. I go off on
leave and when I come back, there it is--all over, settled! Not a
word beforehand. No warning. If only: 'What do you think of it,
Franklin?'--or anything of the sort. And that's a man who hardly
ever did anything without asking my advice. Why! He couldn't take
over a new coat from the tailor without . . . first thing, directly
the fellow came on board with some new clothes, whether in London or
in China, it would be: 'Pass the word along there for Mr. Franklin.
Mr. Franklin wanted in the cabin.' In I would go. 'Just look at my
back, Franklin. Fits all right, doesn't it?' And I would say:
'First rate, sir,' or whatever was the truth of it. That or
Chance |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: content with their company. On that day also, I learned that to be
a god is not all pleasure, since it was expected of me that I must
master various arts, and chiefly the horrid art of music, to which
I never had any desire. Still my own wishes were not allowed to
weigh in the matter, for there came to me tutors, aged men who
might have found better employment, to instruct me in the use of
the lute, and on this instrument I must learn to strum. Others
there were also, who taught me letters, poetry, and art, as they
were understood among the Aztecs, and all this knowledge I was glad
of. Still I remembered the words of the preacher which tell us
that he who increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow, and moreover I
Montezuma's Daughter |
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 Heart of the West by O. Henry: "/Pues, senor/, that letter was written by '/El Chivato/,' as he is
called--by the man of Tonia. They say he is a bad man; I do not know.
While Tonia slept he wrote the letter and sent it by this old hand of
mine to Domingo Sales to be brought to you. Is there anything wrong in
the letter? I am very old; and I did not know. /Valgame Dios/! it is a
very foolish world; and there is nothing in the house to drink--
nothing to drink."
Just then all that Sandridge could think of to do was to go outside
and throw himself face downward in the dust by the side of his
humming-bird, of whom not a feather fluttered. He was not a
/caballero/ by instinct, and he could not understand the niceties of
Heart of the West |
