| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: for presently Lorquas Ptomel and his retinue of chieftains
approached the building and, signing the guards to follow with
the prisoner entered the audience chamber. Realizing that I
was a somewhat favored character, and also convinced that
the warriors did not know of my proficiency in their language,
as I had pleaded with Sola to keep this a secret on the
grounds that I did not wish to be forced to talk with the
men until I had perfectly mastered the Martian tongue, I
chanced an attempt to enter the audience chamber and listen
to the proceedings.
The council squatted upon the steps of the rostrum, while
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Familiar Studies of Men and Books by Robert Louis Stevenson: it, he displayed a vast amount of truly down-East
calculation, and he adopted poverty like a piece of business.
Yet his system is based on one or two ideas which, I believe,
come naturally to all thoughtful youths, and are only pounded
out of them by city uncles. Indeed, something essentially
youthful distinguishes all Thoreau's knock-down blows at
current opinion. Like the posers of a child, they leave the
orthodox in a kind of speechless agony. These know the thing
is nonsense. They are sure there must be an answer, yet
somehow cannot find it. So it is with his system of economy.
He cuts through the subject on so new a plane that the
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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 Men of Iron by Howard Pyle: gathered in the hall, where a number of strange men-at-arms
lounged upon the benches, while two billmen in steel caps and
leathern jacks stood guarding the great door, the butts of their
weapons resting upon the ground, and the staves crossed, barring
the door-way.
In the anteroom was the knight in black armor whom Myles had seen
from the window. He was sitting at the table, his great helmet
lying upon the bench beside him, and a quart beaker of spiced
wine at his elbow. A clerk sat at the other end of the same
table, with inkhorn in one hand and pen in the other, and a
parchment spread in front of him.
Men of Iron |
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 Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: The morning sun rose clear and bright, casting a flood of light
into the chamber of the sick mother, watched over by the beloved
child. It was Christmas, and all over the Christian world arose
paeans of praise for the birth of the Saviour. The sufferer was
conscious of the fact, and a sweet smile played upon her lips, as
she thought of Jesus--that he had lived and died for her. Pain,
that could rack the bones and triumph over the weak body, was
powerless to subdue the loving, trusting spirit, that reposed
gently on Him who has invited the weary to a present and an
eternal rest.
"Katy," said Mrs. Redburn, in a faint whisper.
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