| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie: were quietly cheerful, at the opening of a new and hopeful
future.
The papers, of course, had been full of the tragedy. Glaring
headlines, sandwiched biographies of every member of the
household, subtle innuendoes, the usual familiar tag about the
police having a clue. Nothing was spared us. It was a slack
time. The war was momentarily inactive, and the newspapers
seized with avidity on this crime in fashionable life: "The
Mysterious Affair at Styles" was the topic of the moment.
Naturally it was very annoying for the Cavendishes. The house
was constantly besieged by reporters, who were consistently
The Mysterious Affair at Styles |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: the sensible ones or not. And finally, without being troubled by
repetition of any common truisms about the preciousness of friends,
and the influence of companions, you will admit, doubtless, that
according to the sincerity of our desire that our friends may be
true, and our companions wise,--and in proportion to the earnestness
and discretion with which we choose both,--will be the general
chances of our happiness and usefulness.
But, granting that we had both the will and the sense to choose our
friends well, how few of us have the power! or, at least, how
limited, for most, is the sphere of choice! Nearly all our
associations are determined by chance or necessity; and restricted
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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 Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: and to conduct her, with respectful ceremony, to
the elevated seat at his own right hand, appropriated
to the lady of the mansion. All stood up to
receive her; and, replying to their courtesy by a
mute gesture of salutation, she moved gracefully
forward to assume her place at the board. Ere she
had time to do so, the Templar whispered to the
Prior, ``I shall wear no collar of gold of yours at
the tournament. The Chian wine is your own.''
``Said I not so?'' answered the Prior; ``but
check your raptures, the Franklin observes you.''
Ivanhoe |
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 Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: the dead sailor in his shotted hammock, haled down by sheer
weight of name into the abysses of social failure. Solomon
possibly had his eye on some such theory when he said that 'a
good name is better than precious ointment'; and perhaps we
may trace a similar spirit in the compilers of the English
Catechism, and the affectionate interest with which they
linger round the catechumen's name at the very threshold of
their work. But, be these as they may, I think no one can
censure me for appending, in pursuance of the expressed wish
of his son, the Turkey merchant's name to his system, and
pronouncing, without further preface, a short epitome of the
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