| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton: example!"
"Your example?" Susy paused, weighed the word, was struck by
something embarrassed, arch yet half-apologetic in her friend's
expression. "Your example?" she repeated. "Why, Ellie, what on
earth do you mean? Not that you're going to part from poor
Nelson?"
Mrs. Vanderlyn met her reproachful gaze with a crystalline
glance. "I don't want to, heaven knows--poor dear Nelson! I
assure you I simply hate it. He's always such an angel to
Clarissa ... and then we're used to each other. But what in the
world am I to do? Algie's so rich, so appallingly rich, that I
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: found a certain repugnance . . . With mothers of course it is
different. Women are more loyal, not to each other, but to their
common femininity which they behold triumphant with a secret and
proud satisfaction.
The circumstances of that match added to Mr. Smith's indignation.
And if he followed his daughter into that ship's cabin it was as if
into a house of disgrace and only because he was still bewildered by
the suddenness of the thing. His will, so long lying fallow, was
overborne by her determination and by a vague fear of that regained
liberty.
You will be glad to hear that Anthony, though he did shirk the
Chance |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Astoria by Washington Irving: and other Indians at the mouth of the river, soon proved
themselves keen traders, and in their early dealings with the
Astorians never hesitated to ask three times what they considered
the real value of an article. They were inquisitive, also, in the
extreme, and impertinently intrusive; and were prone to indulge
in scoffing and ridicule at the expense of the strangers.
In one thing, however, they showed superior judgment and self-
command to most of their race; this was, in their abstinence from
ardent spirits, and the abhorrence and disgust with which they
regarded a drunkard. On one occasion a son of Comcomly had been
induced to drink freely at the factory, and went home in a state
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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 Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling: 'I went back with my people, each one carrying his Knife, and
making it sing in the air - tssee-sssse. The Flint never sings. It
mutters - ump-ump. The Beast heard. The Beast saw. He knew!
Everywhere he ran away from us. We all laughed. As we walked
over the grass my Mother's brother - the Chief on the Men's Side
- he took off his Chief's necklace of yellow sea-stones.'
'How? Eh? Oh, I remember! Amber,' said Puck.
'And would have put them on my neck. I said, "No, I am
content. What does my one eye matter if my other eye sees fat
sheep and fat children running about safely?" My Mother's
brother said to them, "I told you he would never take such
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