| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Amazing Interlude by Mary Roberts Rinehart: the house and getting her small wardrobe in order. And once a day she
went to a school of languages and painfully learned from a fierce and
kindly old Frenchman a list of French nouns and prefixes like this: Le
livre, le crayon, la plume, la fenetre, and so on. By the end of ten
days she could say: "La rose sent-elle bon?"
Considering that Harvey came every night and ran the gamut of the
emotions, from pleading and expostulation at eight o'clock to black
fury at ten, when he banged out of the house, Sara Lee was amazingly
calm. If she had moments of weakness, when the call from overseas was
less insistent than the call for peace and protection - if the nightly
drawn picture of the Leete house, with tile mantels and a white bathroom,
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: me. But he had the hardihood to send various men from Machaerus to
spread dissension and discontent throughout my domain. A curse upon
him! Since he attacks me, I shall defend myself."
"Without doubt, he has expressed his anger with too much violence,"
Phanuel replied calmly. "But do not heed that further. He must be set
free."
"One does not let loose a furious animal," said the tetrarch.
"Have no fear of him now," was the quick reply. "He will go straight
to the Arabs, the Gauls, and the Scythians. His work must be extended
to the uttermost ends of the earth."
For a moment Antipas appeared lost in thought, as one who sees a
Herodias |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: giving her a good order. I am not surprised at her not being very
civil, as she has plenty of tradesmen's daughters among her
customers who pay her more than L300 a year for their dresses. I
am wearing a skirt at present which I got two years ago.
"Sir Charles is going to town on Thursday; he will bring you the
hemlock. Tell mamma that there is an old woman here who knows
some wonderful cure for sore eyes. She will not tell what the
ingredients are, but it cures everyone, and there is no use in
giving an oculist two guineas for telling us that reading in bed
is bad for the eyes, when we know perfectly well that mamma will
not give up doing it. If you pay Berkeley's debts, do not forget
|
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 Before Adam by Jack London: Very circumspect and very alert, he moved here and
there about the open space, peering through the vistas
among the trees and trying to catch a glimpse of the
hunting animal that all suspected had pursued me. And
while he did this, taking no notice of me, the Folk
crowded at the cave-mouths and watched.
At last he evidently decided that there was no danger
lurking about. He was returning from the head of the
run-way, from where he had taken a peep down at the
drinking-place. His course brought him near, but still
he did not notice me. He proceeded casually on his way
|
