| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Passionate Pilgrim by William Shakespeare: O yes, dear friend, I pardon crave of thee,
Thy discontent thou didst bequeath to me.
XI.
Venus, with young Adonis sitting by her
Under a myrtle shade, began to woo him:
She told the youngling how god Mars did try her,
And as he fell to her, so fell she to him.
'Even thus,' quoth she, 'the warlike god embraced me,'
And then she clipp'd Adonis in her arms;
'Even thus,' quoth she, 'the warlike god unlaced me,'
As if the boy should use like loving charms;
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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 Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: nicking the swans; but none the less delightful. And this
setting has appealed to a number of people as an invitation,
as, in a way, a promise. They come here, responsive to that
promise of beauty and happiness. They conceive of themselves
here, rowing swiftly and gracefully, punting beautifully,
brandishing boat-hooks with ease and charm. They look to
meet, under pleasant or romantic circumstances, other
possessors and worshippers of grace and beauty here. There
will be glowing evenings, warm moonlight, distant voices
singing. . . .There is your desire, doctor, the desire you
say is the driving force of life. But reality mocks it. Boats
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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 Poems by T. S. Eliot: The showers beat
On broken blinds and chimney-pots,
And at the corner of the street
A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps.
And then the lighting of the lamps.
II
The morning comes to consciousness
Of faint stale smells of beer
From the sawdust-trampled street
With all its muddy feet that press
To early coffee-stands.
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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 Moon-Face and Other Stories by Jack London: difference between, interviewing Mr. Max Irwin for some paper, or interviewing
Mr. Max Irwin for myself? It will be practice, too. I'll go and look him up in
the directory."
"Letty, I know I can write if I get the chance," she announced decisively a
moment later. "I just FEEL that I have the feel of it, if you know what I
mean."
And Letty knew and nodded. "I wonder what he is like?" she asked softly.
"I'll make it my business to find out," Edna assured her; "and I'll let you
know inside forty-eight hours."
Letty clapped her hands. "Good! That's the newspaper spirit! Make it
twenty-four hours and you are perfect!"
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