| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy: Christ's law of love he could not refuse their demand to see him,
and that to avoid them would be cruel. He could not but agree
with this, but the more he gave himself up to such a life the
more he felt that what was internal became external, and that the
fount of living water within him dried up, and that what he did
now was done more and more for men and less and less for God.
Whether he admonished people, or simply blessed them, or prayed
for the sick, or advised people about their lives, or listened to
expressions of gratitude from those he had helped by precepts, or
alms, or healing (as they assured him)--he could not help being
pleased at it, and could not be indifferent to the results of his
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from One Basket by Edna Ferber: lean brown neck above the clean blue shirt. But that was all. As
the weeks went on, the quick, light step began to lag a little.
He had lost more than a son; his right-hand helper was gone.
There were no farm helpers to be had. Old Ben couldn't do it
all. A touch of rheumatism that winter half crippled him for
eight weeks. Bella's voice seemed never to stop its plaint.
"There ain't no sense in you trying to make out alone. Next
thing you'll die on me, and then I'll have the whole shebang on
my hands." At that he eyed her dumbly from his chair by the
stove. His resistance was wearing down. He knew it. He wasn't
dying. He knew that, too. But something in him was. Something
One Basket |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: than any other sovereign, failed more disastrously than any--is not
the answer this, that all these reforms would but have cleansed the
outside of the cup and the platter, while they left the inside full
of extortion and excess? It was not merely institutions which
required to be reformed, but men and women. The spirit of "Gil
Blas" had to be cast out. The deadness, selfishness, isolation of
men's souls; their unbelief in great duties, great common causes,
great self-sacrifices--in a word, their unbelief in God, and
themselves, and mankind--all that had to be reformed; and till that
was done all outward reform would but have left them, at best, in
brute ease and peace, to that soulless degradation, which (as in the
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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: quickly.
"You're just twenty years late," she said.
"Late!" expostulated Gabe. "I ain't no dead one yet."
Effie pushed her plate away with a little air of decision,
folded her plump arms on the table, and, leaning forward, looked
Gabe I. Marks squarely in the eyes.
"Gabie," she said gently, "I'll bet you haven't got a hundred
dollars in the bank----"
"But----" interrupted Gabe.
"Wait a minute. I know you boys on the road. Besides your
diamond scarf pin and your ring and watch, have you got a cent over
Buttered Side Down |
