| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: after Wilding, who was elbowing his way through the yokels about the
steps. The glare of a newly lighted lamp from the doorway fell full
upon his long white face as he advanced, and Venner espied and
recognized him.
"Mr. Wilding!" he cried, and there was a glad ring in his voice, for
though cobblers, tailors, deserters from the militia, pot-boys,
stable-boys, and shuffling yokels had been coming in in numbers during
the past few hours since the Declaration had been read, this was the
first gentleman that arrived to welcome Monmouth. The soldier stretched
out a hand to grasp the newcomer's. "His Grace will see you this
instant, not a doubt of it." He turned and called down the passage.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Aesop's Fables by Aesop: the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to
their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met
them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one
of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end
of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and
his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.
"That will teach you," said an old man who had followed them:
"Please all, and you will please none."
The Miser and His Gold
Once upon a time there was a Miser who used to hide his gold
at the foot of a tree in his garden; but every week he used to go
Aesop's Fables |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Walking by Henry David Thoreau: man the other day a single straight line one hundred and
thirty-two rods long, through a swamp at whose entrance might
have been written the words which Dante read over the entrance to
the infernal regions,--"Leave all hope, ye that enter"--that is,
of ever getting out again; where at one time I saw my employer
actually up to his neck and swimming for his life in his
property, though it was still winter. He had another similar
swamp which I could not survey at all, because it was completely
under water, and nevertheless, with regard to a third swamp,
which I did SURVEY from a distance, he remarked to me, true to
his instincts, that he would not part with it for any
Walking |
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 Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey: "You mean Colonel Longstreth?"
"I reckon. He sure was some riled, wasn't he? Jest as if I was
to blame fer that two-bit of a hold-up!"
"What did you make of the old gent's rage?" asked Duane,
watching the innkeeper. He scratched his head dubiously. He was
sincere, and Duane believed in his honesty.
"Wal, I'm doggoned if I know what to make of it. But I reckon
he's either crazy or got more nerve than most Texans."
"More nerve, maybe," Duane replied. "Show me a bed now,
innkeeper."
Once in bed in the dark, Duane composed himself to think over
The Lone Star Ranger |
