| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde: they meet with adequate recognition.
LADY CAROLINE. John, have you got your overshoes on?
SIR JOHN. Yes, my love.
LADY CAROLINE. I think you had better come over here, John. It is
more sheltered.
SIR JOHN. I am quite comfortable, Caroline.
LADY CAROLINE. I think not, John. You had better sit beside me.
[SIR JOHN rises and goes across.]
LADY STUTFIELD. And what have you been writing about this morning,
Mr. Kelvil?
KELVIL. On the usual subject, Lady Stutfield. On Purity.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: out the meaning of "Spirit." It is only a contraction of the Latin
word "breath," and an indistinct translation of the Greek word for
"wind." The same word is used in writing, "The wind bloweth where
it listeth;" and in writing, "So is every one that is born of the
Spirit;" born of the BREATH, that is; for it means the breath of
God, in soul and body. We have the true sense of it in our words
"inspiration" and "expire." Now, there are two kinds of breath with
which the flock may be filled,--God's breath, and man's. The breath
of God is health, and life, and peace to them, as the air of heaven
is to the flocks on the hills; but man's breath--the word which HE
calls spiritual,--is disease and contagion to them, as the fog of
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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 The Faith of Men by Jack London: Tukesan was married successively to two Toyaat brothers, to both of
whom she was barren. Because of this, other women shook their
heads, and no third Toyaat man could be found to dare matrimony
with the childless widow. But at this time, many hundred miles
above, at Fort Yukon, was a man, Spike O'Brien. Fort Yukon was a
Hudson Bay Company post, and Spike O'Brien one of the Company's
servants. He was a good servant, but he achieved an opinion that
the service was bad, and in the course of time vindicated that
opinion by deserting. It was a year's journey, by the chain of
posts, back to York Factory on Hudson's Bay. Further, being
Company posts, he knew he could not evade the Company's clutches.
|
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 Underdogs by Mariano Azuela: ently it had sold for eight; each time it changed hands, it
was two pesos cheaper. To be sure, it was a heavy bur-
den; nobody could carry it for more than a half-hour.
"I'll give you a quarter for it!" Quail said.
"Yours!" cried the owner, handing it over quickly, as
though he feared Quail might change his mind. Thus for
the sum of twenty-five cents, Quail was afforded the pleas-
ure of taking it in his hands and throwing it with all his
might against the wall.
It struck with a crash. This gave the signal to all who
carried any cumbersome objects to get rid of them by
The Underdogs |
