| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: said, just as they had used to say on those occasions, "I'm going straight
up to tell mother."
"Do, dear," cooed Jose.
"Mother, can I come into your room?" Laura turned the big glass door-knob.
"Of course, child. Why, what's the matter? What's given you such a
colour?" And Mrs. Sheridan turned round from her dressing-table. She was
trying on a new hat.
"Mother, a man's been killed," began Laura.
"Not in the garden?" interrupted her mother.
"No, no!"
"Oh, what a fright you gave me!" Mrs. Sheridan sighed with relief, and
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum: Then she dismissed from her mind further thought of the tunnel, for
that time, and began to wonder if Aunt Em would not be happy as Royal
Mender of the Stockings of the Ruler of Oz. Ozma wore few holes in
her stockings; still, they sometimes needed mending. Aunt Em ought to
be able to do that very nicely.
Next day, the Princess watched the tunnel again in her Magic Picture,
and every day afterward she devoted a few minutes to inspecting the work.
It was not especially interesting, but she felt that it was her duty.
Slowly but surely the big, arched hole crept through the rocks
underneath the deadly desert, and day by day it drew nearer and
nearer to the Emerald City.
The Emerald City of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Lemorne Versus Huell by Elizabeth Drew Stoddard: was troublesome, for she was not only out of health, but in a
lawsuit. She wrote to me, for we lived apart, asking me to
accompany her--not because she was fond of me, or wished to give me
pleasure, but because I was useful in various ways. Mother insisted
upon my accepting her invitation, not because she loved her late
husband's sister, but because she thought it wise to cotton to her
in every particular, for Aunt Eliza was rich, and we--two lone
women--were poor.
I gave my music-pupils a longer and earlier vacation than usual,
took a week to arrange my wardrobe--for I made my own dresses--and
then started for New York, with the five dollars which Aunt Eliza
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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 Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: understand with some spirit that there was no question here of
founding a family. Her son was very far from being the first of
the name. His importance lay rather in being the last of a race
which had totally perished, she added in a completely drawing-room
tone, "in our Civil War."
She had mastered her irritation and through the glass side of the
room sent a wistful smile to his address, but I noticed the yet
unextinguished anger in her eyes full of fire under her beautiful
white eyebrows. For she was growing old! Oh, yes, she was growing
old, and secretly weary, and perhaps desperate.
CHAPTER III
The Arrow of Gold |
