| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: a first-class funeral floated on an over-flowing bonnet; laces adorned
her shoulders, as round behind as they were before; consequently, the
spherical form of the cocoa-nut was perfect. Her feet, of a kind that
painters call abatis, rose above the varnished leather of the shoes in
a swelling that was some inches high. How the feet were ever got into
the shoes, no one knows.
Following these vegetable parents was a young asparagus, who presented
a tiny head with smoothly banded hair of the yellow-carroty tone that
a Roman adores, long, stringy arms, a fairly white skin with reddish
spots upon it, large innocent eyes, and white lashes, scarcely any
brows, a leghorn bonnet bound with white satin and adorned with two
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: monarchs, for love delights not to swoop on ready prey; he needs the
lure of expectation.[40]
[40] Or, "even on the heels of hoped-for bliss he follows."
Well then, just as a man who has never tasted thirst can hardly be
said to know the joy of drinking,[41] so he who has never tasted
Passion is ignorant of Aphrodite's sweetest sweets.
[41] Reading with Holden (after H. Steph.) {osper oun an tis . . .} or
with Hartm. (op. cit. p. 259) {osper ouk an tis . . .}
So Hiero ended.
Simonides answered laughingly: How say you, Hiero? What is that?
Love's strong passion for his soul's beloved incapable of springing up
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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 Madame Firmiani by Honore de Balzac: comprehending all ages, and vexed by nothing, because she has had the
sense and tact to foresee all. Tender and gay, she gratifies before
she consoles. You love her so well that if this angel did wrong you
would be ready to excuse her. If, for your happiness, you have met
with such a woman, you know Madame Firmiani.
After Monsieur de Bourbonne had talked with her for ten minutes,
sitting beside her, his nephew was forgiven. He perceived that
whatever the actual truth might be, the relation between Madame
Firmiani and Octave covered some mystery. Returning to the illusions
that gild the days of youth, and judging Madame Firmiani by her
beauty, the old gentleman became convinced that a woman so innately
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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 One Basket by Edna Ferber: listen. State and Madison has no time for Terrys from Wetona.
It goes its way, pell-mell. If it saw Terry at all it saw her
only as a prettyish person, in the wrong kind of suit and hat,
with a bewildered, resentful look on her face.
Terry drifted on down the west side of State Street, with the
hurrying crowd. State and Monroe. A sound came to Terry's ears.
A sound familiar, beloved. To her ear, harassed with the roar
and crash, with the shrill scream of the whistle of the policeman
at the crossing, with the hiss of feet shuffling on cement, it
was a celestial strain. She looked up, toward the sound. A
great second-story window opened wide to the street. In it a
One Basket |
