| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Davis: hungry she is!"
Kirby tapped his boot with his cane. No one spoke. Only the
dumb face of the rough image looking into their faces with the
awful question, "What shall we do to be saved?" Only Wolfe's
face, with its heavy weight of brain, its weak, uncertain mouth,
its desperate eyes, out of which looked the soul of his class,--
only Wolfe's face turned towards Kirby's. Mitchell laughed,--a
cool, musical laugh.
"Money has spoken!" he said, seating himself lightly on a stone
with the air of an amused spectator at a play. "Are you
answered?"--turning to Wolfe his clear, magnetic face.
Life in the Iron-Mills |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tales and Fantasies by Robert Louis Stevenson: decency.
'I know that,' said John, piteously.
And here the porter recovered the dignity of man.
'Thank you, sir,' said he, and would have returned the base
gratuity. But John, too, would none of it; and as they
struggled, who must join in but the cabman?
'Hoots, Mr. Baigrey,' said he, 'you surely forget what day it
is!'
'I tell you I have no change!' cried John.
'Well,' said the driver, 'and what then? I would rather give
a man a shillin' on a day like this than put him off with a
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: go away with him," she presently said.
"Ah, you have said some admirable things!" cried the young man.
"Go away, sister?" asked Charlotte.
"Away--away; to some strange country."
"That is to frighten you," said Felix, smiling at Charlotte.
"To--what do you call it?" asked Gertrude, turning an instant
to Felix. "To Bohemia."
"Do you propose to dispense with preliminaries?"
asked Mr. Wentworth, getting up.
"Dear uncle, vous plaisantez!" cried Felix. "It seems to me
that these are preliminaries."
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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 Foolish Virgin by Thomas Dixon: He throttled the racer down to the lowest speed and
took the longest road home.
Again and again he slipped his left hand from the
wheel and pressed hers.
"You won't let anybody knock me behind my back, now
will you, little girl?"
She pressed his hand in answer.
"I ain't got a single friend in all God's world to
stand up for me but just you."
"You don't need anyone," she whispered.
"You'll give me a chance to get back at 'em if any
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