| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Hermione's Little Group of Serious Thinkers by Don Marquis: with my dressmaker at two o'clock. You know,
I've really found one who can make my gowns
interpret my inner spirit.
THE SWAMI BRANDRANATH
I HEARD such a lovely lecture the other night
on the Cosmos.
A Little Group of Advanced Women that I
belong to are specializing this winter on the Cosmos.
We took it up, you know, because the other top-
ics we were studying included it so frequently. And
it's wonderful, really WONDERFUL!
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Alexandria and her Schools by Charles Kingsley: that both were men, that they had a common humanity, a common eternal
standard of nobleness and virtue. So the Christian knights went home
humbler and wiser men, when they found in the Saracen emirs the same
generosity, truth, mercy, chivalrous self-sacrifice, which they had
fancied their own peculiar possession, and added to that, a civilisation
and a learning which they could only admire and imitate. And thus, from
the era of the Crusades, a kindlier feeling sprang up between the
Crescent and the Cross, till it was again broken by the fearful
invasions of the Turks throughout Eastern Europe. The learning of the
Moslem, as well as their commerce, began to pour rapidly into
Christendom, both from Spain, Egypt, and Syria; and thus the Crusaders
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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 Salome by Oscar Wilde: mort et la donne au soldat qui l'apporte immediatement au bourreau.
Le bourreau a l'air effare.] Qui a pris ma bague? Il y avait une
bague e ma main droite. Qui a bu mon vin! Il y avait du vin dans
ma coupe. Elle etait pleine de vin. Quelqu'un l'a bu? Oh! je suis
sur qu'il va arriver un malheur e quelqu'un. [Le bourreau descend
dans la citerne.] Ah! pourquoi ai-je donne ma parole? Les rois ne
doivent jamais donner leur parole. S'ils ne la gardent pas, c'est
terrible. S'ils la gardent, c'est terrible aussi . . .
HERODIAS. Je trouve que ma fille a bien fait.
HERODE. Je suis sur qu'il va arriver un malheur.
SALOME [Elle se penche sur la citerne et ecoute.] Il n'y a pas de
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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 Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: she had toiled so long, her strength was nearly gone. But the
flowers whispered their gratitude, and folded their leaves as if they
blessed her; and when she saw the garden filled with loving friends,
who strove to cheer and thank her for her care, courage and strength
returned; and raising up thick clouds of mist, that hid her from the
wondering flowers, alone and trustingly she began her work.
As time went by, the Frost-King feared the task had been
too hard for the Fairy; sounds were heard behind the walls of mist,
bright shadows seen to pass within, but the little voice was never
heard. Meanwhile the golden light had faded from the garden,
the flowers bowed their heads, and all was dark and cold as when
Flower Fables |
