| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: for an epicure Milord. These two women will serve you like two
fairies."
Seeing Lucien go completely to the wall before this man, who was
guilty at least of sacrilege and forgery, this woman, sanctified by
her love, felt an awful fear in the depths of her heart. She made no
reply, but dragged Lucien into her room, and asked him:
"Is he the devil?"
"He is far worse to me!" he vehemently replied. "But if you love me,
try to imitate that man's devotion to me, and obey him on pain of
death!----"
"Of death!" she exclaimed, more frightened than ever.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Heap O' Livin' by Edgar A. Guest: Thankful for the glory of the old Red, White
and Blue,
For the spirit of America that still is staunch
and true,
For the laughter of our children and the sun-
light in their eyes,
And the joy of radiant mothers and their even-
ing lullabies;
And thankful that our harvests wear no taint
of blood to-day,
But were sown and reaped by toilers who were
A Heap O' Livin' |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: had a touch of madness.
But such aberrations are quite inexplicable; nothing is commoner than
this unconfessed pride developed in the heart of young girls belonging
to families high in the social scale, and gifted by nature with great
beauty. They are almost all convinced that their mothers, now forty or
fifty years of age, can neither sympathize with their young souls, nor
conceive of their imaginings. They fancy that most mothers, jealous of
their girls, want to dress them in their own way with the premeditated
purpose of eclipsing them or robbing them of admiration. Hence, often,
secret tears and dumb revolt against supposed tyranny. In the midst of
these woes, which become very real though built on an imaginary basis,
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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 Heroes by Charles Kingsley: Athens, and the hill where Athene dwells.
So Theseus went up through Athens, and all the people ran out
to see him; for his fame had gone before him and every one
knew of his mighty deeds. And all cried, 'Here comes the
hero who slew Sinis, and Phaia the wild sow of Crommyon, and
conquered Kerkuon in wrestling, and slew Procrustes the
pitiless.' But Theseus went on sadly and steadfastly, for
his heart yearned after his father; and he said, 'How shall I
deliver him from these leeches who suck his blood?'
So he went up the holy stairs, and into the Acropolis, where
AEgeus' palace stood; and he went straight into AEgeus' hall,
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