| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Girl with the Golden Eyes by Honore de Balzac: And here I am to-day waiting for this girl whose chimera I am, asking
nothing better than to pose as the monster in the fresco."
"There she is," said Paul. "Every one is turning round to look at
her."
The unknown blushed, her eyes shone; she saw Henri, she shut them and
passed by.
"You say that she notices you?" cried Paul, facetiously.
The duenna looked fixedly and attentively at the two young men. When
the unknown and Henri passed each other again, the young girl touched
him, and with her hand pressed the hand of the young man. Then she
turned her head and smiled with passion, but the duenna led her away
The Girl with the Golden Eyes |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: "do I suppose aright? Are ye my Lord Duke of Gloucester?"
"I am Richard of Gloucester," returned the other. "And you - how
call they you?"
Dick told him his name, and presented Lord Foxham's signet, which
the duke immediately recognised.
"Ye come too soon," he said; "but why should I complain? Ye are
like me, that was here at watch two hours before the day. But this
is the first sally of mine arms; upon this adventure, Master
Shelton, shall I make or mar the quality of my renown. There lie
mine enemies, under two old, skilled captains - Risingham and
Brackley - well posted for strength, I do believe, but yet upon two
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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 Familiar Studies of Men and Books by Robert Louis Stevenson: We are in the land of assertion without delay. That a woman
should bear rule, superiority, dominion or empire over any
realm, nation, or city, he tells us, is repugnant to nature,
contumely to God, and a subversion of good order. Women are
weak, frail, impatient, feeble, and foolish. God has denied
to woman wisdom to consider, or providence to foresee, what
is profitable to a commonwealth. Women have been ever
lightly esteemed; they have been denied the tutory of their
own sons, and subjected to the unquestionable sway of their
husbands; and surely it is irrational to give the greater
where the less has been withheld, and suffer a woman to reign
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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 Buttered Side Down by Edna Ferber: The hasty pace killed Ted. He tried to keep step in a set of
young folks whose fathers had made our town. And all the time his
pocketbook was yelling, "Whoa!" The young people ran largely to
scarlet-upholstered touring cars, and country-club doings, and
house parties, as small town younger generations are apt to. When
Ted went to high school half the boys in his little clique spent
their after-school hours dashing up and down Main street in their
big, glittering cars, sitting slumped down on the middle of their
spines in front of the steering wheel, their sleeves rolled up,
their hair combed a militant pompadour. One or the other of them
always took Ted along. It is fearfully easy to develop a taste for
Buttered Side Down |
