| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: s'pose she told her? Why, she told her these very words--says she:
'Your next child'll be a girl with jet-black curls, and she'll
suffer from spasms.'"
"Mercy!" murmured Ann Eliza, a ripple of sympathy running down
her spine.
"D'you ever have spasms before, Miss Mellins?" Evelina asked.
"Yes, ma'am," the dress-maker declared. "And where'd you
suppose I had 'em? Why, at my cousin Emma McIntyre's wedding, her
that married the apothecary over in Jersey City, though her mother
appeared to her in a dream and told her she'd rue the day she done
it, but as Emma said, she got more advice than she wanted from the
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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 Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley: But people do not yet believe that Mother Carey is as clever as all
that comes to; and they will not till they, too, go the journey to
the Other-end-of-Nowhere.
"And now, my pretty little man," said Mother Carey, "you are sure
you know the way to the Other-end-of-Nowhere?"
Tom thought; and behold, he had forgotten it utterly.
"That is because you took your eyes off me."
Tom looked at her again, and recollected; and then looked away, and
forgot in an instant.
"But what am I to do, ma'am? For I can't keep looking at you when
I am somewhere else."
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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 Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: surrender himself.
The thunderous tones of the enraged father drew nearer; he threw
himself on the floor and attempted to roll under the bed; the
space between the railing and the floor was far too narrow. Why
had he disregarded Aggie's advice as to diet? The knob of the
door handle was turning--he vaulted into the bed and drew the
covers over his head just as O'Flarety, trembling with
excitement, and pursued by Maggie, burst into the room.
"Lave go of me," cried O'Flarety to Maggie, who clung to his arm
in a vain effort to soothe him, and flinging her off, he made
straight for the bed.
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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 Troll Garden and Selected Stories by Willa Cather: have been while Eric and I were out walking. Isn't she
enterprising? Lift this screen, won't you?"
Clara lifted the screen, and Nils swung his leg across the
window-sill. As he stepped into the room she said: "You didn't
think you were going to get ahead of your mother, did you?"
He threw his hat on the piano. "Oh, I do sometimes. You see,
I'm ahead of her now. I'm supposed to be in Anders' wheat-field.
But, as we were leaving, Mother ran her car into a soft place
beside the road and sank up to the hubs. While they were going for
the horses to pull her out, I cut away behind the stacks and
escaped." Nils chuckled. Clara's dull eyes lit up as she looked
The Troll Garden and Selected Stories |
