| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: Beatrix
Navarreins, Duc de
Colonel Chabert
The Muse of the Department
The Thirteen
The Peasantry
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life
The Country Parson
The Magic Skin
The Gondreville Mystery
The Secrets of a Princess
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: consummation. He maintained that, if the work were prosecuted
upon the right lines and sufficient financial assistance were
given, the purpose in view could be achieved without saddling the
war department with any unremunerative or excessive burden. He
admitted that the process of raising fruit trees to the stage
when they would afford adequate cover would be tedious and
somewhat prolonged, but argued that the military advantages, such
as enabling troops to move below the welcome shelter with
absolute freedom and without physical fatigue, would be an ample
compensation.
The utility of such cover to artillery was another factor he did
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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 Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: mediocrities as envy pulls down great talents, and in equal numbers.
The newspapers, it is true, did not spare criticism, but the chevalier
Fougeres digested them as he had digested the counsel of his friends,
with angelic patience.
Possessing, by this time, fifteen thousand francs, laboriously earned,
he furnished an apartment and studio in the rue de Navarin, and
painted the picture ordered by Monseigneur the Dauphin, also the two
church pictures, and delivered them at the time agreed on, with a
punctuality that was very discomforting to the exchequer of the
ministry, accustomed to a different course of action. But--admire the
good fortune of men who are methodical--if Grassou, belated with his
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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 The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: then spinning them into long, silken strands. With these emerald
threads we are weaving cloth to make Ozma a splendid court gown for
her birthday. You will notice that the threads have all the beautiful
glitter and luster of the emeralds from which they are made, and so
Ozma's new dress will be the most magnificent the world has ever seen,
and quite fitting for our lovely Ruler of the Fairyland of Oz."
Dorothy's eyes were fairly dazed by the brilliance of the emerald
cloth, some of which the girls had already woven.
"I've never seen ANYthing so beautiful!" she said, with a sigh.
"But tell me, Glinda, what can I give our lovely Ozma on her birthday?"
The good Sorceress considered this question for a long time before
The Magic of Oz |
