| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Faith of Men by Jack London: texts he had ever heard to serve his purpose. Even this I bore in
silence, but when he instituted what may be likened to a graduated
income-tax, I rebelled, and blindly, for this was what he worked
for. Thereat, he appealed to the people, and they, envious of my
great wealth and well taxed themselves, upheld him. 'Why should we
pay,' they asked, 'and not you? Does not the voice of God speak
through the lips of Moosu, the shaman?' So I yielded. But at the
same time I raised the price of hooch, and lo, he was not a whit
behind me in raising my taxes.
"Then there was open war. I made a play for Neewak and Tummasook,
because of the traditionary rights they possessed; but Moosu won
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Wyoming by William MacLeod Raine: One of the attackers, eager for a clearer shot, exposed himself a
trifle too far in taking aim. Without any loss of time in
sighting, swift as a lightning-flash, the rifle behind the forked
pine spoke. That the bullet reached its mark she saw with a gasp
of dismay. For the man suddenly huddled down and rolled over on
his side.
His comrades appeared to take warning by this example. The men at
both ends of the crescent fell back, and for a minute the girl's
heart leaped with the hope that they were about to abandon the
siege. Apparently the man in the scarlet kerchief had no such
expectation. He deserted his position behind the pine and ran
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Poems of Goethe, Bowring, Tr. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: And by the Lord we're guarded; who then would foolishly tremble?
Weary the combatants are, and all things indicate peace soon;
And when at length the long-expected festival's holden
Here in our church, and the bells chime in with the organ in chorus,
And the trumpets are blowing, the noble Te Deum upraising,
Then on that selfsame day I fain would see, my good pastor,
Our dear Hermann kneel with his bride at the altar before you,
And the glad festival held through the length and breadth of the country
Will henceforward to me be a glad anniversary also!
But I am grieved to observe that the youth, who is always so active
When he is here at home, abroad is so slow and so timid.
|
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 Vendetta by Honore de Balzac: awes, it inspires. There is I know not what great power in the
thought: all sleep, I wake."
"Oh, my Ginevra," he cried, "it is not to-night alone I feel how
delicately moulded is your soul. But see, the dawn is shining,--come
and sleep."
"Yes," replied Ginevra, "if I do not sleep alone. I suffered too much
that night I first discovered that you were waking while I slept."
The courage with which these two young people fought with misery
received for a while its due reward; but an event which usually crowns
the happiness of a household to them proved fatal. Ginevra had a son,
who was, to use the popular expression, "as beautiful as the day." The
|
