| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: cannot get at him but by its ministry.
And in languages so mongrel in breed as the English, there is a
fatal power of equivocation put into men's hands, almost whether
they will or no, in being able to use Greek or Latin words for an
idea when they want it to be awful; and Saxon or otherwise common
words when they want it to be vulgar. What a singular and salutary
effect, for instance, would be produced on the minds of people who
are in the habit of taking the Form of the "Word" they live by, for
the Power of which that Word tells them, if we always either
retained, or refused, the Greek form "biblos," or "biblion," as the
right expression for "book"--instead of employing it only in the one
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Just Folks by Edgar A. Guest: And we smack our lips in pleasure
O'er a joy no coin can buy,
And we down the golden treasure
Which is known as lemon pie.
The Flag on the Farm
We've raised a flagpole on the farm
And flung Old Glory to the sky,
And it's another touch of charm
That seems to cheer the passer-by,
But more than that, no matter where
We're laboring in wood and field,
Just Folks |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Voice of the City by O. Henry: the little vices. He is a burglar and safe-blower,
and a pal of mine."
"Oh, Mary Ann!" said they. "Must you always
adorn every statement with your alleged humor?"
It came to pass that at eight in the evening a calm,
smooth, brilliant, affable man sat at Vuyning's right
hand during dinner. And when the ones who pass
their lives in city streets spoke of skyscrapers or of
the little Czar on his far, frozen throne, or of insig-
nificant fish from inconsequential streams, this big,
deep-chested man, faultlessly clothed, and eyed like
The Voice of the City |
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 Vailima Letters by Robert Louis Stevenson: some miles of path, planted quantities of food, and enclosed
a horse paddock and some acres of pig run; but 'tis a good
deal of money regarded simply as money. K. is bosh; I have
no use for him; but we must do what we can with the fellow
meanwhile; he is good-humoured and honest, but inefficient,
idle himself, the cause of idleness in others, grumbling, a
self-excuser - all the faults in a bundle. He owes us thirty
weeks' service - the wretched Paul about half as much. Henry
is almost the only one of our employes who has a credit.
MAY 17TH.
Well, am I ashamed of myself? I do not think so. I have
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