| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Voice of the City by O. Henry: The introduction went around. There were also
Miss Elise and Miss 'Toinette. Perhaps they were
models, for they chattered of the St. Regis decora-
tions and Henry James -- and they did it not badly.
Medora sat in transport. Music -- wild, intoxi-
eating music made by troubadours direct from a rear
basement room in Elysium -- set her thoughts to
dancing. Here was a world never before penetrated
by her warmest imagination or any of the lines con-
trolled by Harriman. With the Green Mountains'
external calm upon her she sat, her soul flaming in
The Voice of the City |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain: sion . You see they didn't really come to test the
torpedoes; that was merely an incident."
"Did the committee make a report?"
"Yes, they made one. You could have heard it a
mile."
"Unanimous?"
"That was the nature of it. After that I put up
some signs, for the protection of future committees,
and we have had no intruders since."
"Clarence, you've done a world of work, and done
it perfectly."
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Wrecker by Stevenson & Osbourne: evening over all; in which they sat or lay, not speaking, careless
even to eat, men swindled out of life and riches by a lying
book. In the great good nature of the whole party, no word of
reproach had been addressed to Hadden, the author of these
disasters. But the new blow was less magnanimously borne,
and many angry glances rested on the captain.
Yet it was himself who roused them from their lethargy.
Grudgingly they obeyed, drew the boat beyond tidemark, and
followed him to the top of the miserable islet, whence a view
was commanded of the whole wheel of the horizon, then part
darkened under the coming night, part dyed with the hues of
|
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 Just Folks by Edgar A. Guest: And so I sing the homely man that's sittin' in his chair,
And pray that every family will always have him there.
For looks don't count for much on earth; it's hearts that wear the gold;
An' only that is ugly which is selfish, cruel, cold.
The family needs him, Oh, so much; more, maybe, than they know;
Folks seldom guess a man's real worth until he has to go,
But they will miss a heap of love an' tenderness the day
God beckons to their homely man, an' he must go away.
He's found in every family, it doesn't matter where
They live or be they rich or poor, the homely man is there.
You'll find him sitting quiet-like and sort of drawn apart,
Just Folks |
