| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Two Poets by Honore de Balzac: had not been cruel to her lover, and Amelie goaded them to argument,
for she longed to know the truth. Each stated his case, and (as not
unfrequently happens in small country towns) some intimate friends of
the house dropped in in the middle of the argument. Stanislas and
Chatelet vied with each other in backing up their opinions by
observations extremely pertinent. It was hardly to be expected that
the champions should not seek to enlist partisans. "What do you
yourself think?" they asked, each of his neighbor. These polemics kept
Mme. de Bargeton and Lucien well in sight.
At length one day Chatelet called attention to the fact that whenever
he went with M. de Chandour to Mme. de Bargeton's and found Lucien
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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 Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: old gentleman thought something of the sort, for he looked
melancholy enough as he pulled his bare, grey head back into the
carriage, and the train smoked under the bridge, and forth, with
ever quickening speed, across the mingled heaths and woods of the
New Forest.
Not many hundred yards beyond Browndean, however, a sudden
jarring of brakes set everybody's teeth on edge, and there was a
brutal stoppage. Morris Finsbury was aware of a confused uproar
of voices, and sprang to the window. Women were screaming, men
were tumbling from the windows on the track, the guard was crying
to them to stay where they were; at the same time the train began
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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 The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: some trouble with her diamond wrist-watch; it got in her way. She tugged
at it--tried to break the stupid little thing--it wouldn't break. Finally,
she had to drag her glove over. I saw, after that, she couldn't stand this
place a moment longer, and, indeed, she jumped up and turned away while I
went through the vulgar act of paying for the tea.
And then we were outside again. It had grown dusky. The sky was sprinkled
with small stars; the big lamps glowed. While we waited for the car to
come up she stood on the step, just as before, twiddling her foot, looking
down.
Hennie bounded forward to open the door and she got in and sank back with--
oh--such a sigh!
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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 New Poems by Robert Louis Stevenson: I, WHOM Apollo sometime visited,
Or feigned to visit, now, my day being done,
Do slumber wholly; nor shall know at all
The weariness of changes; nor perceive
Immeasurable sands of centuries
Drink of the blanching ink, or the loud sound
Of generations beat the music down.
TEMPEST TOSSED AND SORE AFFLICTED
TEMPEST tossed and sore afflicted, sin defiled and care oppressed,
Come to me, all ye that labour; come, and I will give ye rest.
Fear no more, O doubting hearted; weep no more, O weeping eye!
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