| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: young girl without the knowledge. He had come to her simply as
a friend of her Transatlantic kindred; and she, who was always
rather indifferent to them, asked no questions, nor made the
discovery till too late. Then, indeed, she had burst upon him
with an impetuous despair that had alarmed him. He feared, not
that she would do herself any violence, for she had a childish
dread of death, but that she would show some desperate
animosity toward Hope, whenever they should meet. After a long
struggle, he had touched, not her sense of justice, for she had
none, but her love for him; he had aroused her tenderness and
her pride.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde: thou bringest me not the piece of yellow gold, I will surely keep
thee as my slave, and give thee three hundred stripes.'
So the Star-Child went to the wood, and all day long he searched
for the piece of yellow gold, but nowhere could he find it. And at
sunset he sat him down and began to weep, and as he was weeping
there came to him the little Hare that he had rescued from the
trap,
And the Hare said to him, 'Why art thou weeping? And what dost
thou seek in the wood?'
And the Star-Child answered, 'I am seeking for a piece of yellow
gold that is hidden here, and if I find it not my master will beat
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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 Desert Gold by Zane Grey: might yet have a place in this Chase's heart. Belding did not
believe so, but he was willing to give Chase the benefit of the
doubt.
"So you told my wife you'd respect her secret--keep her dishonor
from husband and daughter?" demanded Belding, his dark gaze
sweeping back from the lane.
"What! I--I" stammered Chase.
"You made your son swear to be a man and die before he'd hint the
thing to Nell?" went on Belding, and his voice rang louder.
Ben Chase had no answer. The red left his face. His son slunk
back against the fence.
Desert Gold |
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 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: knowing anything of the last page or two, put it hastily away,
protesting that she would not regard it, that she would never
look in it again.
In this perturbed state of mind, with thoughts that could rest on
nothing, she walked on; but it would not do; in half a minute the
letter was unfolded again, and collecting herself as well as she
could, she again began the mortifying perusal of all that related
to Wickham, and commanded herself so far as to examine the
meaning of every sentence. The account of his connection with
the Pemberley family was exactly what he had related himself;
and the kindness of the late Mr. Darcy, though she had not
Pride and Prejudice |
