| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Dream Life and Real Life by Olive Schreiner: By and by she was so tired, and the sun was so hot, she laid her head
against the milk-bush, and dropped asleep.
She dreamed a beautiful dream. She thought that when she went back to the
farmhouse in the evening, the walls were covered with vines and roses, and
the kraals were not made of red stone, but of lilac trees full of blossom.
And the fat old Boer smiled at her; and the stick he held across the door,
for the goats to jump over, was a lily rod with seven blossoms at the end.
When she went to the house her mistress gave her a whole roaster-cake for
her supper, and the mistress's daughter had stuck a rose in the cake; and
her mistress's son-in-law said, "Thank you!" when she pulled off his boots,
and did not kick her.
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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 Contrast by Royall Tyler: my dear girl, you are a monstrous prude.
LETITIA
I don't say what I would do; I only intimate how
I suppose she wishes to act.
CHARLOTTE
No, no, no! A fig for sentiment. If she breaks, or
wishes to break, with Mr. Dimple, depend upon it, she
has some other man in her eye. A woman rarely dis-
cards one lover until she is sure of another. Letitia
little thinks what a clue I have to Dimple's conduct.
The generous man submits to render himself disgust-
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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 A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: distance between the van, centre, and rear, was each moment
increased in a degree equally incommodious and dangerous. It was
with great apprehension that Montrose looked upon every point of
advantage which the hill afforded, in dread it might be found
occupied by an enemy prepared for defence; and he often
afterwards was heard to express his conviction, that had the
passes of Strath-Fillan been defended by two hundred resolute
men, not only would his progress have been effectually stopped,
but his army must have been in danger of being totally cut off.
Security, however, the bane of many a strong country and many a
fortress, betrayed, on this occasion, the district of Argyle to
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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 A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert: Virginia. Then she walked in the garden, read a little, and in this
way managed to fill out the emptiness of the hours.
Each morning, out of habit, Felicite entered Virginia's room and gazed
at the walls. She missed combing her hair, lacing her shoes, tucking
her in her bed, and the bright face and little hand when they used to
go out for a walk. In order to occupy herself she tried to make lace.
But her clumsy fingers broke the threads; she had no heart for
anything, lost her sleep and "wasted away," as she put it.
In order to have some distraction, she asked leave to receive the
visits of her nephew Victor.
He would come on Sunday, after church, with ruddy cheeks and bared
A Simple Soul |
