| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from To-morrow by Joseph Conrad: and the longest he had ever made had lasted a fort-
night, of which the most part had been spent at
anchor, sheltering from the weather. As soon as
his wife had inherited a house and enough to live on
(from a bachelor uncle who had made some money
in the coal business) he threw up his command of
an East-coast collier with a feeling as though he
had escaped from the galleys. After all these years
he might have counted on the fingers of his two
hands all the days he had been out of sight of Eng-
land. He had never known what it was to be out
To-morrow |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Iron Puddler by James J. Davis: I was the only Republican elected that year. But for this
exception the Democrats would have made a clean sweep of the
city. If the editor had not charged me with being illiterate I
would neither have been nominated nor elected. When I appeared
before audiences in the "swell end" of town and wrote my lessons
on my little slate, I gained their sympathy. They believed in
fair play. And I found I had not lost their support by thrashing
the editor.
Nearly all of the mill workers in Elwood voted for me. I
supposed that I had made many personal enemies among the men by
refusing to take their grievances up with the bosses when I
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: a fancy to me, and asked me to come and spend a week with her when
Sallie does. She is going in the spring when the opera comes, and
it will be perfectly splendid, if Mother only lets me go," answered
Meg, cheering up at the thought.
"I saw you dancing with the red headed man I ran away from. Was
he nice?"
"Oh. very! His hair is auburn, not red, and he was very polite,
and I had a delicious redowa with him."
"He looked like a grasshopper in a fit when he did the new step.
Laurie and I couldn't help laughing. Did you hear us?"
"No, but it was very rude. What were you about all that time,
Little Women |
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 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: with supplications or reproaches, and her arm was still
linked within Isabella's, though their hearts were at war.
At one moment she was softened, at another irritated;
always distressed, but always steady.
"I did not think you had been so obstinate, Catherine,"
said James; "you were not used to be so hard to persuade;
you once were the kindest, best-tempered of my sisters."
"I hope I am not less so now," she replied,
very feelingly; "but indeed I cannot go. If I am wrong,
I am doing what I believe to be right."
"I suspect," said Isabella, in a low voice,
Northanger Abbey |
