| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: a name. I believe," he added, after a moment's thought, "I will name the
fellow 'Jack Pumpkinhead!'"
Line-Art Drawing
14 Full page line-art drawing.
15 The Marvelous Powder of Life
After considering the matter carefully, Tip decided that the best place to
locate Jack would be at the bend in the road, a little way from the house.
So he started to carry his man there, but found him heavy and rather awkward
to handle. After dragging the creature a short distance Tip stood him on his
feet, and by first bending the joints of one leg, and then those of the
other, at the same time pushing from behind, the boy managed to induce Jack
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland: which he opened and secured. He stalked about with a cane in his
hand, or crosswise back of his neck, turned handsprings, went
through various trapeze performances, such as hanging by his
legs, tail, chin, and hands, or was whirled around in the air.
The leading strap of the monkey was finally tied to the belt of
the sheep which was led away to some distance and let go. The
monkey bounded upon its back and held fast to the wool, while the
sheep ran with all its speed to the showman, who held a basin of
broom-corn seed as a bait. This was repeated as often as the
children desired, which ended the show. Time,--half an hour;
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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 Glasses by Henry James: there was something so grim in the girl's trouble that I hesitated
to fall in with this idea of dropping her. Yet one couldn't
express a compassion without seeming to take for granted more
trouble than there actually might have been. I reflected that I
must really figure to her as a fool, which was an entertainment I
had never expected to give her. It rolled over me there for the
first time--it has come back to me since--that there is,
wondrously, in very deep and even in very foolish misfortune a
dignity still finer than in the most inveterate habit of being all
right. I couldn't have to her the manner of treating it as a mere
detail that I was face to face with a part of what, at our last
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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 Crowd by Gustave le Bon: and that the existence of all of them is ephemeral. An opinion
nowadays dies out before it has found a sufficiently wide
acceptance to become general.
A phenomenon quite new in the world's history, and most
characteristic of the present age, has resulted from these
different causes; I allude to the powerlessness of governments to
direct opinion.
In the past, and in no very distant past, the action of
governments and the influence of a few writers and a very small
number of newspapers constituted the real reflectors of public
opinion. To-day the writers have lost all influence, and the
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