| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: cheerful at home than elsewhere, for she had there plenty of
trials to exercise her eloquence, and not enough joy to make it
her duty to be doleful. At last her poor, meek, fatiguing voice
faded out altogether, and her husband mourned her as heartily
as she would have bemoaned the demise of the most insignificant
neighbor. After her death, being left childless, he had
nothing to do but to make money, and he naturally made it.
Having taken his primary financial education in New England, he
graduated at that great business university, Chicago, and then
entered on the public practice of wealth in New York.
Aunt Jane had perhaps done injustice to the personal appearance
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy: him. 'The horse will move when he has someone on his back.
As for him,' he thought of Nikita--'it's all the same to him
whether he lives or dies. What is his life worth? He won't
grudge his life, but I have something to live for, thank God.'
He untied the horse, threw the reins over his neck and tried to
mount, but his coats and boots were so heavy that he failed.
Then he clambered up in the sledge and tried to mount from
there, but the sledge tilted under his weight, and he failed
again. At last he drew Mukhorty nearer to the sledge,
cautiously balanced on one side of it, and managed to lie on
his stomach across the horse's back. After lying like that for
Master and Man |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Lady Susan by Jane Austen: effaced all his former ill-opinion, and persuaded him not merely to forget
but to justify her conduct. Mr. Smith's account of her proceedings at
Langford, where he accused her of having made Mr. Mainwaring and a young
man engaged to Miss Mainwaring distractedly in love with her, which
Reginald firmly believed when he came here, is now, he is persuaded, only a
scandalous invention. He has told me so with a warmth of manner which spoke
his regret at having believed the contrary himself. How sincerely do I
grieve that she ever entered this house! I always looked forward to her
coming with uneasiness; but very far was it from originating in anxiety for
Reginald. I expected a most disagreeable companion for myself, but could
not imagine that my brother would be in the smallest danger of being
Lady Susan |
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 The Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: state papers, and it did us good to see how quick the country
responded. Two hundred and nineteen husky lads aging along from 18 up
to chin whiskers answered the clarion call of free education. They
ripped open that town, sponged the seams, turned it, lined it with new
mohair; and you couldn't have told it from Harvard or Goldfields at
the March term of court.
"They marched up and down the streets waving flags with the World's
University colors--ultra-marine and blue--and they certainly made a
lively place of Floresville. Andy made them a speech from the balcony
of the Skyview Hotel, and the whole town was out celebrating.
"In about two weeks the professors got the students disarmed and
|
