| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: "Alton College, Lyvern.
"To Mrs. Wylie, Acacia Lodge, Chiswick.
"Dear Madam: I write with great regret to request that you will
at once withdraw Miss Wylie from Alton College. In an
establishment like this, where restraint upon the liberty of the
students is reduced to a minimum, it is necessary that the small
degree of subordination which is absolutely indispensable be
acquiesced in by all without complaint or delay. Miss Wylie has
failed to comply with this condition. She has declared her wish
to leave, and has assumed an attitude towards myself and my
colleagues which we cannot, consistently with our duty to
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Finished by H. Rider Haggard: any interest in India, being an African elephant-hunter and
trader, but I thought they did occasionally. Just then Robinson
passed by and called to me--
"They'll be here presently, Quatermain, but Sompesu isn't coming
himself."
"Does your name happen to be Allan Quatermain?" asked the
stranger. "If so I have heard plenty about you up in Lobengula's
country, and of your wonderful shooting."
"Yes," I replied, "but as for the shooting, natives always
exaggerate."
"They never exaggerated about mine," he said with a twinkle in
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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 Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: let you alone provide for him, Dumay. And so, my friend," she added,
turning her blind face toward Butscha; "you can begin at once to
negotiate with Latournelle."
"He's of legal age, twenty-five and a half years. As for me, it will
be paying a debt, my boy, to make the purchase easy for you," said the
notary.
Butscha was kissing Madame Mignon's hand, and his face was wet with
tears as Modeste opened the door of the salon.
"What are you doing to my Black Dwarf?" she demanded. "Who is making
him unhappy?"
"Ah! Mademoiselle Mignon, do we luckless fellows, cradled in
Modeste Mignon |
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 My Antonia by Willa Cather: `Miss Lingard,' he went on, `is an absolutely trustful heart.
She has not learned the hard lessons of life. As for you and me,
noblesse oblige'--he watched me narrowly.
Lena returned with the vest. `Come in and let us look at you as you
go out, Mr. Ordinsky. I've never seen you in your dress suit,'
she said as she opened the door for him.
A few moments later he reappeared with his violin-case a heavy
muffler about his neck and thick woollen gloves on his bony hands.
Lena spoke encouragingly to him, and he went off with such an important
professional air that we fell to laughing as soon as we had shut the door.
`Poor fellow,' Lena said indulgently, `he takes everything so hard.'
My Antonia |
