| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln by Helen Nicolay: burned. The rebel General Ewell, who was in charge of the city,
asserts that he took the responsibility of disobeying, and that
the fires were not started by his orders. Be that as it may, they
broke out in various places, while a mob, crazed with excitement,
and wild with the alcohol that had run freely in the gutters the
night before, rushed from store to store, breaking in the doors,
and indulging in all the wantonness of pillage and greed. Public
spirit seemed paralyzed; no real effort was made to put out the
flames, and as a final horror, the convicts from the
penitentiary, overpowering their guards, appeared upon the
streets, a maddened, shouting, leaping crowd, drunk with liberty.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: But from deceit, bred by necessity;
For how can tyrants safely govern home
Unless abroad they purchase great alliance?
To prove him tyrant this reason may suffice,--
That Henry liveth still; but were he dead,
Yet here Prince Edward stands, King Henry's son.
Look therefore, Lewis, that by this league and marriage
Thou draw not on thy danger and dishonour;
For though usurpers sway the rule awhile,
Yet heavens are just, and time suppresseth wrongs.
WARWICK.
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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 Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: you have not told me yet what the top was doing there. Why did you
take a toy like that with you when you went out on such an errand?"
"It was in my pocket by chance. When I reached for my handkerchief
to quench the flow of blood the top came out with it. I must have
touched the spring without knowing it, for the top began to spin.
I stood still and watched it, then I ran after it. It spun around
the room and finally came back to the body. So did I. The pastor
was quite still and dead by that time."
"You have heard everything, Dr. Orszay?" asked the detective, rising
from his chair.
"Yes, I have heard everything," answered the venerable head of 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 The Case of The Lamp That Went Out by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: exclaimed Franz in apparent eagerness. Muller's heart rejoiced. He
had apparently hit it right this time. He knew that in a house like
that "a poor dog" could only mean a "sick dog." But his voice was
quite calm as he asked: "How can I do you a favour?"
"Why, you see, sir, we've got a little terrier," explained the old
man, who had quite forgotten the fact that he had mentioned the dog
before. "And there's been something the matter with the poor little
chap for several days. He won't eat or drink, he bites at the grass
and rolls around on his stomach and cries - it's a pity to see him.
If you're fond of animals and know how to take care of them, you may
be able to help us there."
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