| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: "Make your choice, then," said Allan; "your delicacy may be well
founded; the others will assume a shape in which they may be more
useful to you."
"Think not of it," said Annot, choosing from the contents of the
casket a ring, apparently the most trifling in value which it
contained; "keep them for your own, or your brother's bride.
--But, good heavens!" she said, interrupting herself, and
looking at the ring, "what is this that I have chosen?"
Allan hastened to look upon it, with eyes of gloomy apprehension;
it bore, in enamel, a death's head above two crossed daggers.
When Allan recognised the device, he uttered a sigh so deep, that
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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 Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: whatever in creating a live little girl out of the snow. And, to
say the truth, if miracles are ever to be wrought, it will be by
putting our hands to the work in precisely such a simple and
undoubting frame of mind as that in which Violet and Peony now
undertook to perform one, without so much as knowing that it was
a miracle. So thought the mother; and thought, likewise, that the
new snow, just fallen from heaven, would be excellent material to
make new beings of, if it were not so very cold. She gazed at the
children a moment longer, delighting to watch their little
figures,--the girl, tall for her age, graceful and agile, and so
delicately colored that she looked like a cheerful thought more
The Snow Image |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Beauty and The Beast by Bayard Taylor: and the pain in my back! It would be a dreadful blow, if I should
lose Bridget."
Well--what with torch-light processions, and meetings on both
sides, Burroak was in such a state of excitement when election
came, that most of the ladies of my acquaintance were almost afraid
to go to the polls. I tried to get them out during the first hours
after sunrise, when I went myself, but in vain. Even that early,
I heard things that made me shudder. Those who came later, went
home resolved to give up their rights rather than undergo a second
experience of rowdyism. But it was a jubilee for the servant
girls. Mrs. Buckwalter didn't gain much by her apostasy, for
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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 Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg by Mark Twain: say, and without apologies for my language, DAMN the money!"
A Voice. "Oh, and him a Baptist!"
A Voice. "Seventeen Symbols left! Step up, gentlemen, and assume
your trust!"
There was a pause--no response.
The Saddler. "Mr. Chairman, we've got ONE clean man left, anyway,
out of the late aristocracy; and he needs money, and deserves it. I
move that you appoint Jack Halliday to get up there and auction off
that sack of gilt twenty-dollar pieces, and give the result to the
right man--the man whom Hadleyburg delights to honour--Edward
Richards."
The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg |
