| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: me your hat, and then row on with Mr. Harry." She put on the
boy's torn straw hat, and they yielded to her wish. People
almost always yielded to Hope's wishes when she expressed
them,--it was so very seldom.
Somehow the remaining distance seemed very great, as Hope saw
them glide away, leaving her in the water alone, her feet
unsupported by any firm element, the bright and pitiless sky
arching far above her, and her head burning with more heat than
she had liked to own. She was conscious of her full strength,
and swam more vigorously than ever; but her head was hot and
her ears rang, and she felt chilly vibrations passing up and
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: Behold, all this is to be the office and work of the Holy Ghost, that
He begin and daily increase holiness upon earth by means of these two
things, the Christian Church and the forgiveness of sin. But in our
dissolution He will accomplish it altogether in an instant, and will
forever preserve us therein by the last two parts.
But the term Auferstehung des Fleisches (resurrection of the flesh)
here employed is not according to good German idiom. For when we
Germans hear the word Fleisch (flesh), we think no farther than of the
shambles. But in good German idiom we would say Auferstehung des
Leibes, or Leichnams (resurrection of the body). However, it is not a
matter of much moment, if we only understand the words aright.
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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 Peter Pan by James M. Barrie: negligee [nightgown]."
This made her leap to the floor. "Who said I wasn't getting
up?" she cried.
In the meantime the boys were gazing very forlornly at Wendy,
now equipped with John and Michael for the journey. By this time
they were dejected, not merely because they were about to lose
her, but also because they felt that she was going off to
something nice to which they had not been invited. Novelty was
beckoning to them as usual.
Crediting them with a nobler feeling Wendy melted.
"Dear ones," she said, "if you will all come with me I feel
Peter Pan |
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 Dust by Mr. And Mrs. Haldeman-Julius: bright winter day, he faced the fact that he, too, was about to
be shovelled into the great dust-bin. Death was actually at his
side, his long, bony finger on his shoulder and whispering
impersonally, "You're next." "Very much," thought Martin, "like a
barber on a busy Saturday." How odd that here was something that
had never entered into his schemes, his carefully worked out
plans! It seemed so unfair--why, he had been feeling so well, his
business had been going on so profitably, there was something so
substantial to the jog of his life, there seemed to be something
of the eternal about it. He had taken ten-year mortgages but a
few days ago, and had bought two thousand dollars' worth of
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