| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: round her head and neck, arranging them in a hood so she could
cover her face when necessary. She remembered to take an extra
pair of goggles for Nels's use, and then, drawing on her gloves,
she went out ready for the ride.
A number of cowboys were waiting. She explained the situation
and left them in charge of her home. With that she asked Nels to
accompany her down into the desert. He turned white to his lips,
and this occasioned Madeline to remember his mortal dread of the
car and Link's driving.
"Nels, I'm sorry to ask you," she added. "I know you hate the
car. But I need you--may need you, oh! so much."
The Light of Western Stars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: odds blades and poniards, he that would refuse to swallow a dozen
healths on such an evening is a base besognio, and a puckfoist,
and shall swallow six inches of my dagger!"
"Hark ye, scoundrel," said Varney, "be sober on the instant--I
command thee. I know thou canst throw off thy drunken folly,
like a fool's coat, at pleasure; and if not, it were the worse
for thee."
Lambourne drooped his head, left the apartment, and returned in
two or three minutes with his face composed, his hair adjusted,
his dress in order, and exhibiting as great a difference from his
former self as if the whole man had been changed.
Kenilworth |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: as his life hitherto has been disgracefully written, and the events
are romantic and rapid; the character very strong, salient, and
worthy; much interest as to the future of Scotland, and as to that
part of him which was truly modern under his Hebrew disguise.
Hume, of course, the urbane, cheerful, gentlemanly, letter-writing
eighteenth century, full of attraction, and much that I don't yet
know as to his work. Burns, the sentimental side that there is in
most Scotsmen, his poor troubled existence, how far his poems were
his personally, and how far national, the question of the framework
of society in Scotland, and its fatal effect upon the finest
natures. Scott again, the ever delightful man, sane, courageous,
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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 Vicar of Tours by Honore de Balzac: secretly holding the hand of a man whom he regarded as his enemy,
Troubert again threatened the baron's future career, and put in
jeopardy the peerage of his uncle. He made in the salon of the
archbishop, and before an assembled party, one of those priestly
speeches which are big with vengeance and soft with honied mildness.
The Baron de Listomere went the next day to see this implacable enemy,
who must have imposed sundry hard conditions on him, for the baron's
subsequent conduct showed the most entire submission to the will of
the terrible Jesuit.
The new bishop made over Mademoiselle Gamard's house by deed of gift
to the Chapter of the cathedral; he gave Chapeloud's books and
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