| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: that he wished to be left alone, and, turning slightly towards
him, he touched his hat; but Vronsky turned to Anna Arkadyevna.
"I hope I may have the honor of calling on you," he said.
Alexey Alexandrovitch glanced with his weary eyes at Vronsky.
"Delighted," he said coldly. "On Mondays we're at home. Most
fortunate," he said to his wife, dismissing Vronsky altogether,
"that I should just have half an hour to meet you, so that I can
prove my devotion," he went on in the same jesting tone.
"You lay too much stress on your devotion for me to value it
much," she responded in the same jesting tone, involuntarily
listening to the sound of Vronsky's steps behind them. "But what
Anna Karenina |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott: The morning sun looked softly down upon the broad green earth,
which like a mighty altar was sending up clouds of perfume from its
breast, while flowers danced gayly in the summer wind, and birds sang
their morning hymn among the cool green leaves. Then high above,
on shining wings, soared a little form. The sunlight rested softly
on the silken hair, and the winds fanned lovingly the bright face,
and brought the sweetest odors to cheer her on.
Thus went Violet through the clear air, and the earth looked
smiling up to her, as, with the bright wreath folded in her
arms, she flew among the soft, white clouds.
On and on she went, over hill and valley, broad rivers and
Flower Fables |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Treatise on Parents and Children by George Bernard Shaw: persist as we know them: that is, as long as the rights of children
are so utterly denied that nobody will even take the trouble to
ascertain what they are, and coming of age is like the turning of a
convict into the street after twenty-one years penal servitude.
Indeed it is worse; for the convict may have learnt before his
conviction how to live in freedom and may remember how to set about
it, however lamed his powers of freedom may have become through
disuse; but the child knows no other way of life but the slave's way.
Born free, as Rousseau says, he has been laid hands on by slaves from
the moment of his birth and brought up as a slave. How is he, when he
is at last set free, to be anything else than the slave he actually
|
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 Virginian by Owen Wister: monkey-faced kid to spell dog and cow all the mawnin'. He'd ought
to be tucked up cosey in his bed right now, old Carmody ought."
They were standing in that place set apart for the sleeping
children; and just at this moment one of two babies that were
stowed beneath a chair uttered a drowsy note. A much louder cry,
indeed a chorus of lament, would have been needed to reach the
ears of the parents in the room beyond, such was the noisy volume
of the dance. But in this quiet place the light sound caught Mr.
McLean's attention, and he turned to see if anything were wrong.
But both babies were sleeping peacefully.
"Them's Uncle Hughey's twins," he said.
The Virginian |
