| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: out. The best performance in this instance was the discharge of
five rounds in eight seconds. In this instance the paths of the
projectiles were simple and easy to follow, the flight of the
shell being observed until it fell some 18,670 feet away. But
the Krupp firmhave found that trials upon the testing ground with
a captive balloon differ very materially from sterntests in the
field of actual warfare. Practically nothing has been heard of
the two projectiles during this war, as they have proved an
absolute failure.
Some months ago the world was startled by the announcement that
the leading German armament firm had acquired the whole of the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: just as soon have abused the old village church at home
for not being a cathedral.
"And for me there was also my youth to make me pa-
tient. There was all the East before me, and all life, and
the thought that I had been tried in that ship and had
come out pretty well. And I thought of men of old who,
centuries ago, went that road in ships that sailed no
better, to the land of palms, and spices, and yellow sands,
and of brown nations ruled by kings more cruel than
Nero the Roman and more splendid than Solomon the
Jew. The old bark lumbered on, heavy with her age
Youth |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Intentions by Oscar Wilde: the lion at rest, as his fancy willed it. From the tiny perfume-
bottle laughed Aphrodite at her toilet, and, with bare-limbed
Maenads in his train, Dionysus danced round the wine-jar on naked
must-stained feet, while, satyr-like, the old Silenus sprawled upon
the bloated skins, or shook that magic spear which was tipped with
a fretted fir-cone, and wreathed with dark ivy. And no one came to
trouble the artist at his work. No irresponsible chatter disturbed
him. He was not worried by opinions. By the Ilyssus, says Arnold
somewhere, there was no Higginbotham. By the Ilyssus, my dear
Gilbert, there were no silly art congresses bringing provincialism
to the provinces and teaching the mediocrity how to mouth. By the
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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 Betty Zane by Zane Grey: to-morrow with the facts. In the meantime put out some scouts back in the
woods and let Jonathan and the Major watch the river."
"I hope Wetzel will come in," said the Major. "We can trust him to know more
about the Indians than any one. It was a week before you and he went hunting
that I saw him. I went to Fort Pitt and tried to bring over some men, but the
garrison is short and they need men as much as we do. A young soldier named
Clarke volunteered to come and I brought him along with me. He has not seen
any Indian fighting, but he is a likely looking chap, and I guess will do.
Captain Boggs will give him a place in the block house if you say so."
"By all means. We shall be glad to have him," said Colonel Zane.
"It would not be so serious if I had not sent the men up the river," said
Betty Zane |
