| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Art of Writing by Robert Louis Stevenson: the second, knife in hand, we must cut away and deduct the
needless arborescence of his nature, but the trunk and the
few branches that remain we may at least be fairly sure of.
On a chill September morning, by the cheek of a brisk fire,
and the rain drumming on the window, I began THE SEA COOK,
for that was the original title. I have begun (and finished)
a number of other books, but I cannot remember to have sat
down to one of them with more complacency. It is not to be
wondered at, for stolen waters are proverbially sweet. I am
now upon a painful chapter. No doubt the parrot once
belonged to Robinson Crusoe. No doubt the skeleton is
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Hidden Masterpiece by Honore de Balzac: purity. Poussin cursed himself, and repented of his folly in bringing
this treasure from their peaceful garret. Once more he became a lover
rather than an artist; scruples convulsed his heart as he saw the eye
of the old painter regain its youth and, with the artist's habit,
disrobe as it were the beauteous form of the young girl. He was seized
with the jealous frenzy of a true lover.
"Gillette!" he cried; "let us go."
At this cry, with its accent of love, his mistress raised her eyes
joyfully and looked at him; then she ran into his arms.
"Ah! you love me still?" she whispered, bursting into tears.
Though she had had strength to hide her suffering, she had none to
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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 Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: persons whom they do not love, and it helps them to forget.
Perhaps it will help me. This is a good man, they say, and I
think he loves me."
"Think?" John Lambert had adored her when she had passed by
him without looking at him; and now when the thought came over
him that she would be his wife, he became stupid with bliss.
And as latterly he had thought of little else, he remained more
or less stupid all the time.
To a man like Malbone, self-indulgent rather than selfish, this
poor, blind semblance of a moral purpose in Emilia was a great
embarrassment. It is a terrible thing for a lover when he
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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 Whirligigs by O. Henry: to declare his sentiments, but he must needs dally with
the subject, and woo by innuendo at least.
On this night, after the usual meal at the Carabine
d'Or, he strolled with his companion down the dim old
street toward the river
The Rue Chartres perishes in the old Place d'Armes.
The ancient Cabildo, where Spanish justice fell like hail,
faces it, and the Cathedral, another provincial ghost,
overlooks it. Its centre is a little, iron-railed park of
flowers and immaculate gravelled walks, where citizens
take the air of evenings. Pedestalled high above it, the
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