| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Polly of the Circus by Margaret Mayo: had planned.
"And he didn't care about you--like that?" he asked, after a
pause.
"No, not in that way." She was anxious to defend the pastor from
even the thought of such a thing. "He was good and kind always,
but he didn't care THAT WAY. He's not like that."
"I guess I'll have a talk with him," said Jim, and he turned to
go.
"Talk!" she cried.
He stopped and looked at her in astonishment. It was the first
time that he had ever heard that sharp note in her voice. Her
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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 Soul of the Far East by Percival Lowell: is a walking satire on sociability, for the comicality of the
connection is quite unperceived by the performers. In the privacy
of the domestic circle the separation, if less humorous, is no less
complete. Each lives in a world of his own, largely separate in
fact in China and Korea, and none the less in fancy in Japan.
On the continent a friend of the husband would see little or nothing
of the wife, and even in Japan he would meet her much as we meet an
upper servant in a friend's house. Such a semi-attached
relationship does not conduce to much mutual understanding.
The remainder of our hero's uneventful existence calls for no
particular comment. As soon as he has children borne him he is
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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 Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis: place--Mr. Mouse-Man we used to laughingly call the dear fellow. One time he
was so timid he was plumb scared of the Super, and never got credit for the
dandy work he did. Him at the De Luxe! And if he wasn't ordering a tony feed
with all the "fixings" from celery to nuts! And instead of being embarrassed
by the waiters, like he used to be at the little dump where we lunched in Old
Lang Syne, he was bossing them around like he was a millionaire!
I cautiously asked him what he was doing. Freddy laughed and said, "Say, old
chum, I guess you're wondering what's come over me. You'll be glad to know I'm
now Assistant Super at the old shop, and right on the High Road to Prosperity
and Domination, and I look forward with confidence to a twelve-cylinder car,
and the wife is making things hum in the best society and the kiddies getting
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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 The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "It seems to me," continued the Scarecrow, more mildly, "that your
manufacturer spoiled some good pies to create an indifferent man."
"I assure your Majesty that I did not ask to be created," answered Jack.
"Ah! It was the same in my case," said the King, pleasantly. And so, as we
differ from all ordinary people, let us become friends."
"With all my heart!" exclaimed Jack.
"What! Have you a heart?" asked the Scarecrow, surprised.
"No; that was only imaginative -- I might say, a figure of speech," said the
other.
"Well, your most prominent figure seems to be a figure of wood; so I must
beg you to restrain an imagination which, having no brains, you have no
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
