| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Polity of Athenians and Lacedaemonians by Xenophon: eyes of other men with all the novelty of youth. And the most
marvellous thing of all is that, while everybody is agreed to praise
these remarkable institutions, there is not a single state which cares
to imitate them.
[7] See Plut. "Lycurg." 1.
XI
The above form a common stock of blessings, open to every Spartan to
enjoy, alike in peace and in war. But if any one desires to be
informed in what way the legislator improved upon the ordinary
machinery of warfare and in reference to an army in the field, it is
easy to satisfy his curiosity.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey: To the west all was dark. With infinite care and implacable
spirit and waning strength Duane shoved the plank along, and
when at last he discerned the black border of bank it came in
time, he thought, to save him. He crawled out, rested till the
gray dawn broke, and then headed north through the willows.
CHAPTER XIII
How long Duane was traveling out of that region he never knew.
But he reached familiar country and found a rancher who had
before befriended him. Here his arm was attended to; he had
food and sleep; and in a couple of weeks he was himself again.
When the time came for Duane to ride away on his endless trail
The Lone Star Ranger |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories by Alice Dunbar: man looked at me so funny, I felt all cold chills down my back.
Oh, dear Mother, I love the convent and the sisters so, I just
want to stay and be a sister too, may I?"
And thus it was that Camille took the white veil at sixteen
years. Now that the period of novitiate was over, it was just
beginning to dawn upon her that she had made a mistake.
"Maybe it would have been better had I gone with the
funny-looking lady and gentleman," she mused bitterly one night.
"Oh, Seigneur, I 'm so tired and impatient; it's so dull here,
and, dear God, I'm so young."
There was no help for it. One must arise in the morning, and
The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories |
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 The Economist by Xenophon: No more possible (he answered) than for a man who knows no music to
make others musical.[18] If the teacher sets but an ill example, the
pupil can hardly learn to do the thing aright.[19] And if the master's
conduct is suggestive of laxity, how hardly shall his followers attain
to carefulness! Or to put the matter concisely, "like master like
man." I do not think I ever knew or heard tell of a bad master blessed
with good servants. The converse I certainly have seen ere now, a good
master and bad servants; but they were the sufferers, not he.[20] No,
he who would create a spirit of carefulness in others[21] must have
the skill himself to supervise the field of labour; to test, examine,
scrutinise.[22] He must be ready to requite where due the favour of a
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