| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Roads of Destiny by O. Henry: cautiously and saw (as men do see; and women--oh! never can) that they
were of the same order.
Pilkins leaned over after a short time and spoke to the youth, who
answered smilingly, and courteously. From general topics the
conversation concentrated to the bed-rock of grim personalities. But
Pilkins did it as delicately and heartily as any caliph could have
done. And when it came to the point, the youth turned to him, soft-
voiced and with his undiminished smile.
"I don't want to seem unappreciative, old man," he said, with a
youth's somewhat too-early spontaneity of address, "but, you see, I
can't accept anything from a stranger. I know you're all right, and
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pagan and Christian Creeds by Edward Carpenter: note.
Observations of this kind were naturally made by the
ablest members of the tribe--who were in all probability
the medicine-men and wizards--and brought in consequence
power into their hands. The road to power in fact--and
especially was this the case in societies which had not
yet developed wealth and property--lay through Magic.
As far as magic represented early superstition land religion
it laid hold of the HEARTS of men--their hopes and
fears; as far as it represented science and the beginnings
of actual knowledge, it inspired their minds with a
Pagan and Christian Creeds |
