| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Z. Marcas by Honore de Balzac: it fell at the end of the session. Then Marcas came back to us, worked
to death. He had sounded the crater of power; he came away from it
with the beginnings of brain fever. The disease made rapid progress;
we nursed him. Juste at once called in the chief physician of the
hospital where he was working as house-surgeon. I was then living
alone in our room, and I was the most attentive attendant; but care
and science alike were in vain. By the month of January, 1838, Marcas
himself felt that he had but a few days to live.
The man whose soul and brain he had been for six months never even
sent to inquire after him. Marcas expressed the greatest contempt for
the Government; he seemed to doubt what the fate of France might be,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne: notwithstanding his talents of drum beating and spatterdash-making,
which, though very good in themselves, happened to be of no great
service to me, yet was I hourly recompensed by the festivity of his
temper; - it supplied all defects: - I had a constant resource in
his looks in all difficulties and distresses of my own - I was
going to have added of his too; but La Fleur was out of the reach
of every thing; for, whether 'twas hunger or thirst, or cold or
nakedness, or watchings, or whatever stripes of ill luck La Fleur
met with in our journeyings, there was no index in his physiognomy
to point them out by, - he was eternally the same; so that if I am
a piece of a philosopher, which Satan now and then puts it into my
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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 Cavalry General by Xenophon: But to proceed to another topic. The enemy is less likely to get wind
of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from
mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public
notice.[11] Accordingly, in addition to[12] this method of ordering
the march by word passed along the line, the appointment of file-
leaders seems desirable, who again are to be supplemented by section-
leaders,[13] so that the number of men to whom each petty officer has
to transmit an order will be very few;[14] while the section-leaders
will deploy and increase the front, whatever the formation, without
confusion, whenever there is occasion for the movement.[15]
[11] i.e. "given by general word of command, or in writing." As to the
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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 Yates Pride by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: a whisper. Eudora jogged the cradle gently with her foot, and
both were still. Then Eudora dropped the lace veil over the
cradle again and moved softly away.
Lawton followed her. "I haven't my answer yet, Eudora," he
whispered, leaning over her shoulder as she moved.
"Come into the other room," she murmured, "or we shall wake the
baby." Her voice was softly excited.
Eudora led the way into the parlor, upon whose walls hung some
really good portraits and whose furnishings still merited the
adjective magnificent. There had been opulence in the Yates
family; and in this room, which had been conserved, there was
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