| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: dexterous twist, slipped away from her touch.
"I must stay and straighten the library," she announced.
Mrs. Brewster's delicate color had deepened. "It would be as well
to open some of the doors," she agreed coldly. "The library looks
odd, not to say funereal," she glanced down the spacious room and
shivered ever so slightly. "Do, Babs, put out some of the lights;
they are blinding."
"Oh, I'll turn them all out "- Barbara sought the electric switch.
"But your father -"
"No need to worry about father; he can find his way about in the
dark like a cat," responded Barbara with unabated cheerfulness.
The Red Seal |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: The strange man appeared overwhelmed with astonishment. "She doesn't?" he
cried. "She is out, you mean!"
"No, she's not living here," answered Viola.
"But--pardon--one moment." He moved from the door lintel, standing
squarely in front of her. He unbuttoned his greatcoat and drew a slip of
paper from the breast pocket, smoothing it in his gloved fingers before
handing it to her.
"Yes, that's the address, right enough, but there must be a mistake in the
number. So many lodging-houses in this street, you know, and so big."
Drops of water fell from her hair on to the paper. She burst out laughing.
"Oh, HOW dreadful I must look--one moment!" She ran back to the washstand
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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 Sanitary and Social Lectures by Charles Kingsley: can doubt? I speak of those--and in so doing I speak of every
woman, young and old--who exercise as wife, as mother, as aunt, as
sister, or as friend, an influence, indirect it may be, and
unconscious, but still potent and practical, on the minds and
characters of those about them, especially of men. How potent and
practical that influence is, those know best who know most of the
world and most of human nature. There are those who consider--and
I agree with them--that the education of boys under the age of
twelve years ought to be entrusted as much as possible to women.
Let me ask--of what period of youth and manhood does not the same
hold true? I pity the ignorance and conceit of the man who
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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 Vailima Prayers & Sabbath Morn by Robert Louis Stevenson: We thank Thee and praise Thee; and in the words of him to whom this
day is sacred, close our oblation.
FOR SELF-BLAME
LORD, enlighten us to see the beam that is in our own eye, and
blind us to the mote that is in our brother's. Let us feel our
offences with our hands, make them great and bright before us like
the sun, make us eat them and drink them for our diet. Blind us to
the offences of our beloved, cleanse them from our memories, take
them out of our mouths for ever. Let all here before Thee carry
and measure with the false balances of love, and be in their own
eyes and in all conjunctures the most guilty. Help us at the same
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