| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Paz by Honore de Balzac: mistress, unknown, unappreciated, but generously working for her, was
better than this. Yes, he wanted the reward of his virtue, her
respect, and he had lost it. He grew thin and yellow, and so ill with
constant low fever that during the month of January he was obliged to
keep his bed, though he refused to see a doctor. Comte Adam became
very uneasy about him; but the countess had the cruelty to remark:
"Let him alone; don't you see it is only some Olympian trouble?" This
remark, being repeated to Thaddeus, gave him the courage of despair;
he left his bed, went out, tried a few amusements, and recovered his
health.
About the end of February Adam lost a large sum of money at the
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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 Yates Pride by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: "Hullo, Eudora," he said again.
"Hullo," said she, falteringly.
It was inconceivable that they should meet in such wise after the
years of separation and longing which they had both undergone;
but each took refuge, as it were, in a long-past youth, even
childhood, from the fierce tension of age. When they were both
children they had been accustomed to pass each other on the
village street with exactly such salutation, and now both
reverted to it. The tall, regal woman in her India shawl and the
stout, middle-aged man had both stepped back to their
vantage-ground of springtime to meet.
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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 Youth by Joseph Conrad: an interminable procession of days; and the fresh gild-
ing flashed back at the setting sun, seemed to cry out
over the darkening sea the words painted on her stern,
'Judea, London. Do or Die.'
"Then we entered the Indian Ocean and steered north-
erly for Java Head. The winds were light. Weeks
slipped by. She crawled on, do or die, and people at
home began to think of posting us as overdue.
"One Saturday evening, I being off duty, the men
asked me to give them an extra bucket of water or so--
for washing clothes. As I did not wish to screw on the
Youth |
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 Essays of Francis Bacon by Francis Bacon: ference, between a cunning man, and a wise man;
not only in point of honesty, but in point of ability.
There be, that can pack the cards, and yet cannot
play well; so there are some that are good in can-
vasses and factions, that are otherwise weak men.
Again, it is one thing to understand persons, and
another thing to understand matters; for many
are perfect in men's humors, that are not greatly
capable of the real part of business; which is the
constitution of one that hath studied men, more
than books. Such men are fitter for practice, than
Essays of Francis Bacon |
