| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tattine by Ruth Ogden [Mrs. Charles W. Ide]: hardships endured, in the delight of his discovery.
"It will be a month before they'll have sense enough to crawl out," he
remarked to Joseph, "and they're wedged in between some old planks in very
uncomfortable fashion. They look like fine little fellows too. I think we
ought to manage in some way to get them out."
"And it would be bad if any of them died there," said Joseph,rubbing his head
and still ruminating on the subject; "very bad. Well, we'll have to see what
we` can do about it."
"Will you see right away?" urged Tattine eagerly.
"May as well, I reckon," and Joseph walked off in the direction of the
tool-house, but to Tattine's regret evidently did not appreciate any need for
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: so correspondent with himself in size, rotundity, and sleekness,
that if they had been amalgamated into a centaur, there would
have been nothing to alter in their proportions.
"Do you know," said the little friar, as they wound along the banks
of the stream, "the reason why lake-trout is better than river-trout,
and shyer withal?"
"I was not aware of the fact," said Sir Ralph.
"A most heterodox remark," said brother Michael: "know you not,
that in all nice matters you should take the implication for absolute,
and, without looking into the FACT WHETHER, seek only the reason why?
But the fact is so, on the word of a friar; which what layman will venture
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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 Lady Baltimore by Owen Wister: John's irregularities have invariably been conducted with perfect
propriety."
"Oh," said Mrs. Gregory, "no Mayrant was ever known to be gross!"
"But this particular young lady," said Mrs. Weguelin, "would not be
estranged by an masculine irregularities and gayeties. Not many."
"How about infidelities?" I suggested. "If he should flagrantly lose his
heart to another?"
Mrs. Weguelin replied quickly. "That answers very well where hearts
are in question."
"But," said I, "since phosphates are no longer--?"
There was a pause. "It would be a new dilemma," Mrs. Gregory then said
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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 Enoch Arden, &c. by Alfred Tennyson: And here the Lord of all the landscape round
Ev'n to its last horizon, and of all
Who peer'd at him so keenly, follow'd out
Tall and erect, but in the middle aisle
Reel'd, as a footsore ox in crowded ways
Stumbling across the market to his death,
Unpitied; for he groped as blind, and seem'd
Always about to fall, grasping the pews
And oaken finials till he touch'd the door;
Yet to the lychgate, where his chariot stood,
Strode from the porch, tall and erect again.
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