| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Fanny Herself by Edna Ferber: "Fanny, I'll work. I'll soon get some of these millions
that are lying about everywhere in this country. And then
I'll take you out of this. I promise you."
Fanny stared at him, a picture of ludicrous astonishment.
"Why, you talk as if you were--sorry for me!"
"I am, dear. God knows I am. I'll make it up to you,
somehow."
It was the first time in all her dashing and successful
career that Fanny Brandeis had felt the sting of pity. She
resented it, hotly. And from Theodore, the groper, the--
"But at any rate," something within her said, "he has always
Fanny Herself |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Protagoras by Plato: goers. (You may remember, Protagoras, that this was your answer.)
He assented.
Well then, I said, tell us against what are the courageous ready to go--
against the same dangers as the cowards?
No, he answered.
Then against something different?
Yes, he said.
Then do cowards go where there is safety, and the courageous where there is
danger?
Yes, Socrates, so men say.
Very true, I said. But I want to know against what do you say that the
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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 Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: their nature for any good to itself, but rather for its injury. In
direct opposition to this, there are some persons who, being[28] born
of the People, are yet by natural instinct not commoners. For my part
I pardon the People its own democracy, as, indeed, it is pardonable in
any one to do good to himself.[29] But the man who, not being himself
one of the People, prefers to live in a state democratically governed
rather than in an oligarchical state may be said to smooth his own
path towards iniquity. He knows that a bad man has a better chance of
slipping through the fingers of justice in a democratic than in an
oligarchical state.
[26] Or, "and which are good for nothing."
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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 Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: in reading what are called sensation novels, all know but too
well; how British literature--all that the best hearts and
intellects among our forefathers have bequeathed to us--is
neglected for light fiction, the reading of which is, as a lady
well said, "the worst form of intemperance--dram-drinking and
opium-eating, intellectual and moral."
I know that the young will delight--they have delighted in all
ages, and will to the end of time--in fictions which deal with
that "oldest tale which is for ever new." Novels will be read:
but that is all the more reason why women should be trained, by
the perusal of a higher, broader, deeper literature, to
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