| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Royalty Restored/London Under Charles II by J. Fitzgerald Molloy: advances with an eagerness that gave promise of further favours.
This was highly displeasing to Howard, a brave and generous man,
who under an exterior of passive calmness concealed a spirit of
fearless courage. Though not desirous of picking a quarrel with
his rival, he was unwilling to suffer his impertinent
interference. Jermyn, on the other hand, not being aware of
Howard's real character, sought an early opportunity of insulting
him. Such being their dispositions, a quarrel speedily ensued,
which happened in this manner.
One fair summer day Captain Howard gave an entertainment at
Spring Gardens, in honour of the countess. These gardens were
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: excuse. "I wouldn't be able to look after the business if I did
go," he said. He has a sort of wide-eyed frankness that makes one
ashamed to doubt him. "I'm always car sick crossing the mountains.
It's a fact, Lollie. See-sawing over the peaks does it. Why,
crossing the Alleghany Mountains has the Gulf Stream to Bermuda
beaten to a frazzle."
So I gave him up finally and went home to pack. He came later in
the evening with his machine, the Cannonball, to take me to the
station, and he brought the forged notes in the Bronson case.
"Guard them with your life," he warned me. "They are more precious
than honor. Sew them in your chest protector, or wherever people
The Man in Lower Ten |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates by Howard Pyle: as a guard at the mouth of the harbor, scarce half a league
distant from the other ships. Having spied the fleet in this
posture, the pirates presently pulled down their sails and rowed
along the coast, feigning to be a Spanish vessel from Nombre de
Dios. So hugging the shore, they came boldly within the harbor,
upon the opposite side of which you might see the fortress a
considerable distance away.
Being now come so near to the consummation of their adventure,
Captain Morgan required every man to make an oath to stand by him
to the last, whereunto our hero swore as heartily as any man
aboard, although his heart, I must needs confess, was beating at
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates |
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 Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: neck, which means in horsey language side by side, and on they came in the
maddest fashion. Tattine stood on the front porch and watched them in high
glee, and not a bit afraid was she, though they were coming straight in her
direction. When they reached her they considerately came to a sudden stop,
else there is no doubt whatever but she would have been tumbled over.
"Well, you are a team," laughed Tattine. and they laughed back, "Yes, we know
we are," and sat down on the step on either side of her. Of course, that would
have been a remarkable thing for some teams to do, but not for this one, for,
as you can guess, they were just two little people, Mabel and Rudolph, but
they were a perfect team all the same; everybody said so, and what everybody
meant was this--that whatever Rudolph "was up to," Mabel was "up to" also, and
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