| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson: He was to me a man of a great historical interest, but the interest
was not returned."
"Ah well, we go beyond him," said Mr. Thomson. "I daresay old
Peter knew as little about this as I do. You see, I succeeded to a
prodigious accumulation of old law-papers and old tin boxes, some
of them of Peter's hoarding, some of his father's, John, first of
the dynasty, a great man in his day. Among other collections, were
all the papers of the Durrisdeers."
"The Durrisdeers!" cried I. "My dear fellow, these may be of the
greatest interest. One of them was out in the '45; one had some
strange passages with the devil - you will find a note of it in
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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 Talisman by Walter Scott: pallet.
CHAPTER IV.
Kenneth the Scot was uncertain how long his senses had been lost
in profound repose, when he was roused to recollection by a sense
of oppression on his chest, which at first suggested a flirting
dream of struggling with a powerful opponent, and at length
recalled him fully to his senses. He was about to demand who was
there, when, opening his eyes, he beheld the figure of the
anchorite, wild and savage-looking as we have described him,
standing by his bedside, and pressing his right hand upon his
breast, while he held a small silver lamp in the other.
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: energy and every penny I possess."
I could have told her so much more gently, have broken the shock
for her; I have never been proud of that evening on the sand. I
was alternately a boor and a ruffian - like a hurt youngster who
passes the blow that has hurt him on to his playmate, that both
may bawl together. And now Alison sat, white and cold, without
speech.
"Married!" she said finally, in a small voice. "Why, I don't think
it is possible, is it? I - I was on my way to Baltimore to marry
him myself, when the wreck came."
"But you said you didn't care for him!" I protested, my heavy
The Man in Lower Ten |
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 Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa: Thus having given meat to the hungry badgers, the ugly baby
bear ran quickly away to his father again.
On the following day the father badger came back once more.
He stood watching the big bear cutting thin slices of meat.
" Give--" he began, when the bear turning upon him with a
growl, thrust him cruelly aside. The badger fell on his hands. He
fell where the grass was wet with the blood of the newly carved
buffalo. His keen starving eyes caught sight of a little red clot
lying bright upon the green. Looking fearfully toward the bear and
seeing his head was turned away, he snatched up the small thick
blood. Underneath his girdled blanket he hid it in his hand.
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