| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: virtues. I think Henrique, now, has a keener sense of the beauty
of truth, from seeing lying and deception the universal badge of
slavery."
"A Christian-like view of the subject, certainly!" said Augustine.
"It's true, Christian-like or not; and is about as
Christian-like as most other things in the world," said Alfred.
"That may be," said St. Clare.
"Well, there's no use in talking, Augustine. I believe we've
been round and round this old track five hundred times, more
or less. What do you say to a game of backgammon?"
The two brothers ran up the verandah steps, and were soon seated
Uncle Tom's Cabin |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Altar of the Dead by Henry James: shrine could be more bedecked and no ceremonial more stately than
those to which his worship was attached. He had no imagination
about these things but that they were accessible to any one who
should feel the need of them. The poorest could build such temples
of the spirit - could make them blaze with candles and smoke with
incense, make them flush with pictures and flowers. The cost, in
the common phrase, of keeping them up fell wholly on the generous
heart.
CHAPTER II.
HE had this year, on the eve of his anniversary, as happened, an
emotion not unconnected with that range of feeling. Walking home
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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 Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: and very quiet village. There is but one street, and that, not long
ago, was a green lane, where the cattle browsed between the
doorsteps. As you go up this street, drawing ever nearer the
beginning of the wood, you will arrive at last before an inn where
artists lodge. To the door (for I imagine it to be six o'clock on
some fine summer's even), half a dozen, or maybe half a score, of
people have brought out chairs, and now sit sunning themselves, and
waiting the omnibus from Melun. If you go on into the court you will
find as many more, some in billiard-room over absinthe and a match of
corks some without over a last cigar and a vermouth. The doves coo
and flutter from the dovecot; Hortense is drawing water from the
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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 Island Nights' Entertainments by Robert Louis Stevenson: Keawe was thinking. "Very lightly could I leave my house, the
high-placed, the many-windowed, here upon the mountains. Very
bravely could I go to Molokai, to Kalaupapa by the cliffs, to live
with the smitten and to sleep there, far from my fathers. But what
wrong have I done, what sin lies upon my soul, that I should have
encountered Kokua coming cool from the sea-water in the evening?
Kokua, the soul ensnarer! Kokua, the light of my life! Her may I
never wed, her may I look upon no longer, her may I no more handle
with my loving hand; and it is for this, it is for you, O Kokua!
that I pour my lamentations!"
Now you are to observe what sort of a man Keawe was, for he might
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