| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Amazing Interlude by Mary Roberts Rinehart: taubes, but to peace instead of war, was moving Rene's brave and smiling
spirit - a boyish angel, eager and dauntless, and still looking up.
Henri took off his cap and crossed himself.
Another sentry took Rene's place the next day, but the little house had
lost something it could not regain. And a greater loss was to come.
Jean brought out the mail that day. For Sara Lee, moving about silent
and red-eyed, there was a letter from Mr. Travers. He inclosed a hundred
pounds and a clipping from a London newspaper entitled The Little House
of Mercy.
"Evidently," he wrote, "you were right and we were wrong. One-half of
the inclosed check is from my wife, who takes this method of showing 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 Kwaidan by Lafcadio Hearn: child grow up with that name on his hand. And there is no other means of
removing characters that come in that way upon the body of a child: you
must rub the skin with clay taken from the grave of the body of the former
birth."...
HI-MAWARI
On the wooded hill behind the house Robert and I are looking for
fairy-rings. Robert is eight years old, comely, and very wise;-- I am a
little more than seven,-- and I reverence Robert. It is a glowing glorious
August day; and the warm air is filled with sharp sweet scents of resin.
We do not find any fairy-rings; but we find a great many pine-cones in the
high grass... I tell Robert the old Welsh story of the man who went to
Kwaidan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: It was the Adventuress.
Drawing somwhat back, I listened. Oh, Dairy, what a revalation!
"But I MUST see her," she was saying. "Time is flying. In a half
hour the performance begins, and--he cannot be found."
"I can't understand," mother said, in a stiff maner. "What can my
daughter Barbara know about him?"
The Adventuress snifed. "Humph!" she said. "She knows, all right.
And I'd like to see her in a hurry, if she is in the house."
"Certainly she is in the house," said mother.
"ARE YOU SURE OF THAT? Because I have every reason to beleive she
has run away with him. She has been hanging around him all week,
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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 Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: On two occasions her fortune has failed her, on two occasions she
has found herself discovered and betrayed; and on these two
occasions it was to one fatal genius, sent doubtlessly by the
Lord to combat her, that she has succumbed. D'Artagnan has
conquered her--her, that invincible power of evil.
He has deceived her in her love, humbled her in her pride,
thwarted her in her ambition; and now he ruins her fortune,
deprives her of liberty, and even threatens her life. Still
more, he has lifted the corner of her mask--that shield with
which she covered herself and which rendered her so strong.
D'Artagnan has turned aside from Buckingham, whom she hates as
The Three Musketeers |
