| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Golden Threshold by Sarojini Naidu: Shelley wrote of dwells in my little home; it is full of the
music of birds in the garden and children in the long arched
verandah." There are songs about the children in this book; they
are called the Lord of Battles, the Sun of Victory, the
Lotus-born, and the Jewel of Delight.
"My ancestors for thousands of years," I find written in one of
her letters, "have been lovers of the forest and mountain caves,
great dreamers, great scholars, great ascetics. My father is a
dreamer himself, a great dreamer, a great man whose life has been
a magnificent failure. I suppose in the whole of India there are
few men whose learning is greater than his, and I don't think
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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 Cavalry General by Xenophon: paralysed with amazement. In proof of what I say, let any one reflect
on the stupor into which a body of men with all the weight of
numerical advantage on their side will be betrayed by falling into an
ambuscade; or again, on the exaggerated terror mutually inspired in
belligerents during the first few days, of finding themselves posted
in face of one another.
[17] Or, "troops."
[18] Possibly on flank. See Courier, p. 35, on Spanish cavalry
tactics.
[19] Lit. "supposing both divisions to be backed by footmen," etc.
[20] Or, "achieve a much more decisive victory." Cf. "Cyrop." III.
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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 Main Street by Sinclair Lewis: the Northern Middlewest; a land of dairy herds and exquisite
lakes, of new automobiles and tar-paper shanties and silos likes
red towers, of clumsy speech and a hope that is boundless. An
empire which feeds a quarter of the world--yet its work is
merely begun. They are pioneers, these sweaty wayfarers, for
all their telephones and bank-accounts and automatic pianos
and co-operative leagues. And for all its fat richness, theirs
is a pioneer land. What is its future? she wondered. A
future of cities and factory smut where now are loping empty
fields? Homes universal and secure? Or placid chateaux
ringed with sullen huts? Youth free to find knowledge and
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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 Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: not except even Mrs. Merriwether who had been almost rude when she
called on her at the National Hotel or Mrs. Elsing who had been
cool to frigidness. She invited Mrs. Meade and Mrs. Whiting who
she knew disliked her and who she knew would be embarrassed because
they did not have the proper clothes to wear to so elegant a
function. For Scarlett's housewarming, or "crush," as it was
fashionable to call such evening parties, half-reception, half-
ball, was by far the most elaborate affair Atlanta had ever seen.
That night the house and canvas-covered veranda were filled with
guests who drank her champagne punch and ate her patties and
creamed oysters and danced to the music of the orchestra that was
Gone With the Wind |
