| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: ever.
There were some boys-and-girls' parties, but they
were so few and so delightful that they only made the
aching voids between ache the harder.
Becky Thatcher was gone to her Constantinople
home to stay with her parents during vacation -- so
there was no bright side to life anywhere.
The dreadful secret of the murder was a chronic
misery. It was a very cancer for permanency and
pain.
Then came the measles.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum: Mrs. Yoop isn't looking."
They talked it over for a while longer and then Mrs.
Yoop returned. When she entered, the door opened
suddenly, at her command, and closed as soon as her
huge form had passed through the doorway. During that
day she entered her bedroom several times, on one
errand or another, but always she commanded the door to
close behind her and her prisoners found not the
slightest chance to leave the big hall in which they
were confined.
The Green Monkey thought it would be wise to make a
The Tin Woodman of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Lady Susan by Jane Austen: if I could resist even matrimony offered by HIM. This event, if his wife
live with you, it may be in your power to hasten. The violence of her
feelings, which must wear her out, may be easily kept in irritation. I rely
on your friendship for this. I am now satisfied that I never could have
brought myself to marry Reginald, and am equally determined that Frederica
never shall. To-morrow, I shall fetch her from Churchhill, and let Maria
Mainwaring tremble for the consequence. Frederica shall be Sir James's wife
before she quits my house, and she may whimper, and the Vernons may storm,
I regard them not. I am tired of submitting my will to the caprices of
others; of resigning my own judgment in deference to those to whom I owe no
duty, and for whom I feel no respect. I have given up too much, have been
Lady Susan |
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 Economist by Xenophon: "An. Xen." 180, cf. Plat. "Lysis."
XXI
After a pause, I added: I am turning over in my mind how cleverly you
have presented the whole argument to support your thesis: which was,
that of all arts the art of husbandry is the easiest to learn. And
now, as the result of all that has been stated, I am entirely
persuaded that this is so.
Isch. Yes, Socrates, indeed it is. But I, on my side, must in turn
admit that as regards that faculty which is common alike to every kind
of conduct (tillage, or politics, the art of managing a house, or of
conducting war), the power, namely, of command[1]--I do subscribe to
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