| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: My point was conceded, but there were long delays. Whether the
household had my ultimatum or whether she told Beatrice directly
I do not know, and what Lady Osprey can have made of it in the
former case I don't imagine.
At last Beatrice came and stood by my bedside. "Well?" she said.
"All I want to say," I said with the querulous note of a
misunderstood child, "is that I can't take this as final. I want
to see you and talk when I'm better, and write. I can't do
anything now. I can't argue."
I was overtaken with self-pity and began to snivel, "I can't
rest. You see? I can't do anything."
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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 Scarecrow of Oz by L. Frank Baum: briskly along behind them, for they were hastening to the
shed.
"Depends on what it is," said Cap'n Bill.
"I wish you would take my umbrella down to the shore
and hold it over the poor fishes till it stops raining.
I'm afraid they'll get wet," said Pessim.
Trot laughed, but Cap'n Bill thought the little man was
poking fun at him and so he scowled upon Pessim in a way
that showed he was angry.
They reached the shed before getting very wet, although
the rain was now coming down in big drops. The roof of
The Scarecrow of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: and smooth coats of fawn color spotted with white.
Claus loved them at once, and has loved them ever since, for they are
loyal friends and have rendered him priceless service.
The new harness fitted them nicely and soon they were all fastened to
the sledge by twos, with Glossie and Flossie in the lead. These wore
the strings of sleigh-bells, and were so delighted with the music they
made that they kept prancing up and down to make the bells ring.
Claus now seated himself in the sledge, drew a warm robe over his
knees and his fur cap over his ears, and cracked his long whip as a
signal to start.
Instantly the ten leaped forward and were away like the wind, while
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus |
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 Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: of catching on fire, on a ship that got wrecked every day. And it was
always Stanley who was in the thick of the danger. Her whole time was
spent in rescuing him, and restoring him, and calming him down, and
listening to his story. And what was left of her time was spent in the
dread of having children.
Linda frowned; she sat up quickly in her steamer chair and clasped her
ankles. Yes, that was her real grudge against life; that was what she
could not understand. That was the question she asked and asked, and
listened in vain for the answer. It was all very well to say it was the
common lot of women to bear children. It wasn't true. She, for one, could
prove that wrong. She was broken, made weak, her courage was gone, through
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