| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: parents in a moment of patriotism, which he never ceased to regret,
was a fair-haired, rather good-looking young man, who had qualified
himself for American diplomacy by leading the German at the Newport
Casino for three successive seasons, and even in London was well
known as an excellent dancer. Gardenias and the peerage were his
only weaknesses. Otherwise he was extremely sensible. Miss
Virginia E. Otis was a little girl of fifteen, lithe and lovely as
a fawn, and with a fine freedom in her large blue eyes. She was a
wonderful amazon, and had once raced old Lord Bilton on her pony
twice round the park, winning by a length and a half, just in front
of the Achilles statue, to the huge delight of the young Duke of
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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 Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: the books. I have been to some extension lectures, of course,
'Lizabethan Dramatists,' it was, but it seemed a little
high-flown, you know. And I went and did wood-carving at the same
place. But it didn't seem leading nowhere, and I cut my thumb and
chucked it."
He made a depressing spectacle, with his face anxious and his
hands limp. "It makes me sick," he said, "to think how I've been
fooled with. My old schoolmaster ought to have a juiced HIDING.
He's a thief. He pretended to undertake to make a man of me, and
be's stole twenty-three years of my life, filled me up with
scraps and sweepings. Here I am! I don't KNOW anything, and I
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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 The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: was before traffic had been diverted, but that was done forty
years ago, 'just before my father died,' he said. I got away at
last, and walked along sharply; it was a dismal street indeed,
and I was glad to return to the bustle and the noise. Would you
like to see my purchase?"
Austin said nothing, but nodded his head slightly; he
still looked white and sick. Villiers pulled out a drawer in
the bamboo table, and showed Austin a long coil of cord, hard
and new; and at one end was a running noose.
"It is the best hempen cord," said Villiers, "just as
it used to be made for the old trade, the man told me. Not an
The Great God Pan |
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 Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: knotted flaps, but it was Tommy and Dick who cast them loose.
Then she set her soul for the last effort, staggered in, and fell
exhausted on the floor.
Tommy unbuckled the straps and took the pack from her. As he
lifted it there was a clanging of pots and pans. Dick, pouring
out a mug of whiskey, paused long enough to pass the wink across
her body. Tommy winked back. His lips pursed the monosyllable,
"clothes," but Dick shook his head reprovingly. "Here, little
woman," he said, after she had drunk the whiskey and straightened
up a bit.
"Here's some dry togs. Climb into them. We're going out to
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