| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ion by Plato: you would acknowledge that we did?
ION: Yes.
SOCRATES: Tell me, then, what I was intending to ask you,--whether this
holds universally? Must the same art have the same subject of knowledge,
and different arts other subjects of knowledge?
ION: That is my opinion, Socrates.
SOCRATES: Then he who has no knowledge of a particular art will have no
right judgment of the sayings and doings of that art?
ION: Very true.
SOCRATES: Then which will be a better judge of the lines which you were
reciting from Homer, you or the charioteer?
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: about her, even for my sake, it is enough."
Here Philip started, and felt relieved.
"You must be her friend," continued Hope, eagerly. "She has
changed her whole manner and habits very fast. Blanche
Ingleside and that set seem to have wholly controlled her, and
there is something reckless in all her ways. You are the only
person who can help her."
"How?"
"I do not know how," said Hope, almost impatiently. "You know
how. You have wonderful influence. You saved her before, and
will do it again. I put her in your hands."
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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 Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen: plush breeches was quite alone in the old house. Now and then he came to the
window and looked out, and the little boy nodded to him, and the old man
nodded again, and so they became acquaintances, and then they were friends,
although they had never spoken to each other--but that made no difference. The
little boy heard his parents say, "The old man opposite is very well off, but
he is so very, very lonely!"
The Sunday following, the little boy took something, and wrapped it up in a
piece of paper, went downstairs, and stood in the doorway; and when the man
who went on errands came past, he said to him--
"I say, master! will you give this to the old man over the way from me? I have
two pewter soldiers--this is one of them, and he shall have it, for I know he
Fairy Tales |
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 Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: in every kind, prepared for that national series in the most perfect
way possible; their text printed all on leaves of equal size, broad
of margin, and divided into pleasant volumes, light in the hand,
beautiful, and strong, and thorough as examples of binders' work;
and that these great libraries will be accessible to all clean and
orderly persons at all times of the day and evening; strict law
being enforced for this cleanliness and quietness.
I could shape for you other plans, for art-galleries, and for
natural history galleries, and for many precious--many, it seems to
me, needful--things; but this book plan is the easiest and
needfullest, and would prove a considerable tonic to what we call
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