| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: ignorant that her husband had any share in the events of
that tragic afternoon; but her countenance seemed to signify
that she concealed some suspicion or thought of the reputed
tender relations between Wildeve and Eustacia in days gone by.
Clym, however, could make nothing of it, and he rose
to depart, more in doubt than when he came.
"You will write to her in a day or two?" said the young
woman earnestly. "I do so hope the wretched separation
may come to an end."
"I will," said Clym; "I don't rejoice in my present state
at all."
Return of the Native |
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 Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: poet in the world, but also an optimistic lecturer and the creator of "Ads
that Add." Despite the searching philosophy and high morality of his verses,
they were humorous and easily understood by any child of twelve; and it added
a neat air of pleasantry to them that they were set not as verse but as prose.
Mr. Frink was known from Coast to Coast as "Chum."
With them were six wives, more or less--it was hard to tell, so early in the
evening, as at first glance they all looked alike, and as they all said, "Oh,
ISN'T this nice!" in the same tone of determined liveliness. To the eye, the
men were less similar: Littlefield, a hedge-scholar, tall and horse-faced;
Chum Frink, a trifle of a man with soft and mouse-like hair, advertising his
profession as poet by a silk cord on his eye-glasses; Vergil Gunch, broad,
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