| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: But that had happened ten years ago; and Venn, poor fellow, was
long since dead of his dragging ailment. His old father was
dead, too, the house in Stuyvesant Square had been turned into a
boarding-house, and the shifting life of New York had passed its
rapid sponge over every trace of their obscure little history.
Even the optimistic McCarren seemed to acknowledge the
hopelessness of seeking for proof in that direction.
"And there's the third door slammed in our faces." He shut his
note-book, and throwing back his head, rested his bright
inquisitive eyes on Granice's furrowed face.
"Look here, Mr. Granice--you see the weak spot, don't you?"
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Timaeus by Plato: provide food for them, and receive them again in death.' Thus he spake,
and poured the remains of the elements into the cup in which he had mingled
the soul of the universe. They were no longer pure as before, but diluted;
and the mixture he distributed into souls equal in number to the stars, and
assigned each to a star--then having mounted them, as in a chariot, he
showed them the nature of the universe, and told them of their future birth
and human lot. They were to be sown in the planets, and out of them was to
come forth the most religious of animals, which would hereafter be called
man. The souls were to be implanted in bodies, which were in a perpetual
flux, whence, he said, would arise, first, sensation; secondly, love, which
is a mixture of pleasure and pain; thirdly, fear and anger, and the
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Somebody's Little Girl by Martha Young: She did not lean up against the lady now, but she sat close. Sister
Helen Vincula did not seem to mind that.
She did not swing her foot to and fro now, but she still felt very
contented and happy to have met the very Wisest Woman.
When she did listen a little she heard the lady say:
``There came news that my husband was ill in Mobile, and I feared
that it was of the Dreadful Fever, and I hurried there so that I
could get to him before the Dreadful Quarantines were put on. I
felt all safe about the baby, for I left her with my mother and the
faithful nurse who had been my nurse, too. But when the worst had
come and was over,--and it was the Dreadful Fever,--then I tried to
|
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 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: so shortly give the proper termination to the elopement, they
might hope to conceal its unfavourable beginning from all those
who were not immediately on the spot.
She had no fear of its spreading farther through his means.
There were few people on whose secrecy she would have more
confidently depended; but, at the same time, there was no one
whose knowledge of a sister's frailty would have mortified her
so much-- not, however, from any fear of disadvantage from it
individually to herself, for, at any rate, there seemed a gulf
impassable between them. Had Lydia's marriage been
concluded on the most honourable terms, it was not to be
Pride and Prejudice |
