| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Twelve Stories and a Dream by H. G. Wells: beautiful." Fanny's "beautiful" inclined to be a little monotonous,
Miss Winchelsea thought. She had been quite glad when the last
sunny Alp had vanished, because of the staccato of Fanny's admiration.
Helen said little, but Miss Winchelsea had found her a little wanting
on the aesthetic side in the old days and was not surprised; sometimes
she laughed at the young man's hesitating delicate little jests and
sometimes she didn't, and sometimes she seemed quite lost to the art
about them in the contemplation of the dresses of the other visitors.
At Rome the young man was with them intermittently. A rather
"touristy" friend of his took him away at times. He complained
comically to Miss Winchelsea. "I have only two short weeks in Rome,"
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Coxon Fund by Henry James: in consequence of her marriage with the late Sir Gregory of that
name. She had a house in the Regent's Park, a Bath-chair and a
fernery; and above all she had sympathy. Mrs. Saltram had made her
acquaintance through mutual friends. This vagueness caused me to
feel how much I was out of it and how large an independent circle
Mrs. Saltram had at her command. I should have been glad to know
more about the disappointed young lady, but I felt I should know
most by not depriving her of her advantage, as she might have
mysterious means of depriving me of my knowledge. For the present,
moreover, this experience was stayed, Lady Coxon having in fact
gone abroad accompanied by her niece. The niece, besides being
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett: capsize. "That you, Asa? Good-mornin'," she said politely.
"I al'ays liked the starn seat best. When'd you git back from up
country?"
This allusion to Asa's origin was not lost upon the rest of
the company. We were some little distance from shore, but we could
hear a chuckle of laughter, and Asa, a person who was too ready
with his criticism and advice on every possible subject, turned and
walked indignantly away.
When we caught the wind we were soon on our seaward course,
and only stopped to underrun a trawl, for the floats of which Mrs.
Todd looked earnestly, explaining that her mother might not be
|
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 Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: we play cards, or receive visits, or pay them. Thus my days pass
between a contented old man, who has done with passions, and the man
who owes his happiness to me. Louis' happiness is so radiant that it
has at last warmed my heart.
For women, happiness no doubt cannot consist in the mere satisfaction
of desire. Sometimes, in the evening, when I am not required to take a
hand in the game, and can sink back in my armchair, imagination bears
me on its strong wings into the very heart of your life. Then, its
riches, its changeful tints, its surging passions become my own, and I
ask myself to what end such a stormy preface can lead. May I not
swallow up the book itself? For you, my darling, the illusions of love
|
