| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ferragus by Honore de Balzac: she go there this very afternoon at three o'clock? I know she did, for
I waited in the street, and saw her,--all because that good-natured
fellow, Monsieur Justin, whom you know perhaps,--a little old man with
jewelry who wears corsets,--told me that Madame Jules was my rival.
That name, monsieur, sounds mighty like a feigned one; but if it is
yours, excuse me. But this I say, if Madame Jules was a court duchess,
Henri is rich enough to satisfy all her fancies, and it is my business
to protect my property; I've a right to, for I love him, that I do. He
is my /first/ inclination; my happiness and all my future fate depends
on it. I fear nothing, monsieur; I am honest; I never lied, or stole
the property of any living soul, no matter who. If an empress was my
Ferragus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Voice of the City by O. Henry: ing to their estimate of your price. And the men in
the audiences, clapping, yelling, snarling, crowding,
writhing, gloating -- like a lot of wild beasts, with
their eyes fixed on you, ready to eat you up if you
come in reach of their claws. Oh, how I hate 'em!
"Well, I'm not telling you much about myself, am
I, Lynn ?
"I had two hundred dollars saved up, and I cut
the stage the first of the summer. I went over on
Long Island and found the sweetest little village that
ever was, called Soundport, right on the water. I was
The Voice of the City |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Juana by Honore de Balzac: The door opened. The Marana forgot all else, and Perez, making a sign
to his wife, remained at his post. With his old invincible Spanish
honor he was determined to share the vengeance of the betrayed mother.
Juana, all in white, and softly lighted by the wax candles, was
standing calmly in the centre of her chamber.
"What do you want with me?" she said.
The Marana could not repress a passing shudder.
"Perez," she asked, "has this room another issue?"
Perez made a negative gesture; confiding in that gesture, the mother
entered the room.
"Juana," she said, "I am your mother, your judge; you have placed
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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 Copy-Cat & Other Stories by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: walk under a burning sun, nor weeks of confinement
and idleness in her room afterward.
When September came, and a night or two of com-
parative coolness, she felt stronger; still she was
compelled by most unusual weakness to refrain from
her energetic trot in her duty-path; and then it was
that something happened.
One afternoon Lily fluttered over to Amelia's,
and Amelia, ever on the watch, spied her.
"May I go out and see Lily?" she asked Grand-
mother Stark.
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