| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne: was the husband of the care-wrinkled woman. He asked for a paper
of tobacco; and as she had neglected to provide herself with the
article, her brutal customer dashed down his newly-bought pipe and
left the shop, muttering some unintelligible words, which had the
tone and bitterness of a curse. Hereupon Hepzibah threw up her
eyes, unintentionally scowling in the face of Providence!
No less than five persons, during the forenoon, inquired for
ginger-beer, or root-beer, or any drink of a similar brewage,
and, obtaining nothing of the kind, went off in an exceedingly
bad humor. Three of them left the door open, and the other two
pulled it so spitefully in going out that the little bell played
House of Seven Gables |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Drama on the Seashore by Honore de Balzac: heard Cambremer say to the lawyer. The mother threw herself at the
father's feet.
"'He is judged and condemned,' replied Pierre; 'you must now help me
carry him to the boat.'
"She refused; and Cambremer carried him alone; he laid him in the
bottom of the boat, tied a stone to his neck, took the oars and rowed
out of the cove to the open sea, till he came to the rock where he now
is. When the poor mother, who had come up here with her brother-in-
law, cried out, 'Mercy, mercy!' it was like throwing a stone at a
wolf. There was a moon, and she saw the father casting her son into
the water; her son, the child of her womb, and as there was no wind,
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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 Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: realized that there was just one thing left to try, and that was to jump
overboard and try and pull Barney to land, since Barney would not pull him. So
into the water he jumped, keeping the reins in his hand, and then, getting a
little ahead of Barney, he began to walk and pull. Now fortunately, there is
nothing like the force of example, which simply means that when Barney saw
Rudolph walking and pulling he began to walk and pull too.
Meantime, while Patrick and his wife were thinking that the children had had
plenty of time to reach home before the storm, there was great anxiety in the
two homes where those three dear children lived. Patrick the coachman and
Philip the groom had been sent with the wagonette by the main road to Patrick
Kirk's--Patrick to bring the children and Philip to take charge of Barney, but
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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 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: honor to the coming guest by brushing his curly pate, putting on a
fresh color, and trying tidy up the room, which in spite of half a
dozen servants, was anything but neat. Presently there came a loud
ring, than a decided voice, asking for `Mr. laurie', and a surprised-
looking servant came running up to announce a young lady.
"All right, show her up, it's Miss Jo, "said Laurie, going to the
door of his little parlor to meet Jo, who appeared, looking rosy and
quite at her ease, with a covered dish in one hand and Beth's three
kittens in the other.
"Here I am, bag and baggage," she said briskly. "Mother sent her
love, and was glad if I could do anything for you. Meg wanted me to
Little Women |
