| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Cousin Pons by Honore de Balzac: boots, a couple of suits of clothes, a dozen shirts, a dozen bandana
handkerchiefs, four waistcoats, a superb pipe given to him by Pons,
with an embroidered tobacco-pouch--these were all his belongings.
Overwrought by a fever of indignation, he went into his room and piled
his clothes upon a chair.
"All dese are mine," he said, with simplicity worthy of Cincinnatus.
"Der biano is also mine."
Fraisier turned to La Sauvage. "Madame, get help," he said; "take that
piano out and put it on the landing."
"You are too rough into the bargain," said Villemot, addressing
Fraisier. "The justice of the peace gives orders here; he is supreme."
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: and the angels after that, will back him up.
'It may be that his Lord if he divorce you will give him in exchange
wives better than you, Muslims, believers, devout, repentant,
worshipping, giving to fasting-such as have known men and virgins
too.'
O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from the fire,
whose fuel is men and stones;-over it are angels stout and stern; they
disobey not God in what He bids them, but they do what they are
bidden!
O ye who disbelieve! excuse not yourselves today;-ye shall only be
rewarded for that which ye have done.
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Adam Bede by George Eliot: setting down his glass with a swing of his arm and a determined
rap. If Jonathan Burge and a few others felt less comfortable on
the occasion, they tried their best to look contented, and so the
toast was drunk with a goodwill apparently unanimous.
Adam was rather paler than usual when he got up to thank his
friends. He was a good deal moved by this public tribute--very
naturally, for he was in the presence of all his little world, and
it was uniting to do him honour. But he felt no shyness about
speaking, not being troubled with small vanity or lack of words;
he looked neither awkward nor embarrassed, but stood in his usual
firm upright attitude, with his head thrown a little backward and
Adam Bede |
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 Emma McChesney & Co. by Edna Ferber: everyone I could lay my hands on who has been down there and who
knows. Those South American women love dress--especially the
Argentines. And do you know what they've been wearing?
Petticoats made in England! You know what that means. An
English woman chooses a petticoat like she does a husband--for
life. It isn't only a garment. It's a shelter. It's built like
a tent. If once I can introduce the T. A. Buck Featherloom
petticoat and knickerbocker into sunny South America, they'll use
those English and German petticoats for linoleum floor-coverings.
Heaven knows they'll fit the floor better than the human form!"
But Buck was unsmiling. The muscles of his jaw were tense.
Emma McChesney & Co. |
