| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: Lucy's house was. And, if anything, all of us feel-
ing nervouser yet. And saying nothing and not
looking at each other. And Colonel Tom rolling
cigarettes and fumbling fur matches and lighting
them and slinging them away. Fur how does any-
body know how women is going to take even the
most ordinary little things?
I knowed the way well enough, and where the
house was, but as we went around the turn in the
road I run acrost a surprised feeling. I come onto
the place where our campfire had been them nights
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac: "Corpo di Bacco! the Pope is laying it on heavily," replied Schinner.
"But the people are used to it. Besides, Italians are so good-natured
that if you let 'em murder a few travellers along the highways they're
contented."
"I see, Monsieur Schinner," said the count, "that you are not wearing
the decoration you obtained in 1819; it seems the fashion nowadays not
to wear orders."
Mistigris and the pretended Schinner blushed to their ears.
"Well, with me," said the artist, "the case is different. It isn't on
account of fashion; but I don't want to be recognized. Have the
goodness not to betray me, monsieur; I am supposed to be a little
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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 Ursula by Honore de Balzac: apron, in the pocket of which she jingled her household keys. Her
screeching voice was agony to the drums of all ears. Her rigid glance,
conflicting with the soft blue of her eyes, was in visible harmony
with the thin lips of a pinched mouth and a high, projecting, and very
imperious forehead. Sharp was the glance, sharper still both gesture
and speech. "Zelie being obliged to have a will for two, had it for
three," said Goupil, who pointed out the successive reigns of three
young postilions, of neat appearance, who had been set up in life by
Zelie, each after seven years' service. The malicious clerk named them
Postilion I., Postilion II., Postilion III. But the little influence
these young men had in the establishment, and their perfect obedience
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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 On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: organisation, yet are not rarely, some of them hermaphrodites, and some of
them unisexual. But if, in fact, all hermaphrodites do occasionally
intercross with other individuals, the difference between hermaphrodites
and unisexual species, as far as function is concerned, becomes very small.
From these several considerations and from the many special facts which I
have collected, but which I am not here able to give, I am strongly
inclined to suspect that, both in the vegetable and animal kingdoms, an
occasional intercross with a distinct individual is a law of nature. I am
well aware that there are, on this view, many cases of difficulty, some of
which I am trying to investigate. Finally then, we may conclude that in
many organic beings, a cross between two individuals is an obvious
On the Origin of Species |
