| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Professor by Charlotte Bronte: faithfully. Green, reedy swamps; fields fertile but flat,
cultivated in patches that made them look like magnified
kitchen-gardens; belts of cut trees, formal as pollard willows,
skirting the horizon; narrow canals, gliding slow by the
road-side; painted Flemish farmhouses; some very dirty hovels; a
gray, dead sky; wet road, wet fields, wet house-tops: not a
beautiful, scarcely a picturesque object met my eye along the
whole route; yet to me, all was beautiful, all was more than
picturesque. It continued fair so long as daylight lasted,
though the moisture of many preceding damp days had sodden the
whole country; as it grew dark, however, the rain recommenced,
The Professor |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Cruise of the Jasper B. by Don Marquis: "And you know----" she paused, as if she could not continue, but
her eyes and manner spoke the rest. In a moment her lips spoke
it too; she was not the sort of woman who is afraid to avow the
promptings of her heart. "You know," she said, "that I love
you."
"Agatha!" he cried again. He could say no more.
"Oh, Clement," she said, "if you were killed--killed
uselessly!--now that I have found you, I could not bear it.
Dear, I could not bear it!"
Cleggett was profoundly moved. He yearned to take her in his
arms to comfort her, and to promise anything she wished. And the
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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 Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: hearted enough to be glad that Toby's gift seemed finer and more
useful than his.
It was only when the "Leap of Death" act preceding Polly's turn
was announced, that the big fellow gave up feasting his eyes on
the satchel and coat, and hid them away in the big property
trunk. She would be out in a minute, and these wonders were not
to be revealed to her until the close of the night's performance.
Jim put down the lid of the trunk and sat upon it, feeling like a
criminal because he was hiding something from Polly.
His consciousness of guilt was increased as he recalled how often
she had forbidden Toby and himself to rush into reckless
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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 Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: "Have you a tale for us too, dear Violet-Eye?" said the Queen, as
Zephyr ceased. The little Elf thus named looked from among the
flower-leaves where she sat, and with a smile replied, "As I was
weaving garlands in the field, I heard a primrose tell this tale
to her friend Golden-Rod."
LITTLE BUD.
IN a great forest, high up among the green boughs, lived Bird
Brown-Breast, and his bright-eyed little mate. They were now very
happy; their home was done, the four blue eggs lay in the soft nest,
and the little wife sat still and patient on them, while the husband
sang, and told her charming tales, and brought her sweet berries
Flower Fables |
