| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: expected to hear it crash down into the canon, but presently she
saw Link waiting to take them aboard again. Then came steeper
parts of the road, places that Link could run down if he had
space below to control the car, and on the other hand places
where the little inclines ended in abrupt ledges upon one side or
a declivity upon the other. Here the cowboy, with ropes on the
wheels and half-hitches upon the spurs of rock, let the car slide
down.
Once at a particularly bad spot Madeline exclaimed involuntarily,
"Oh, time is flying!" Link Stevens looked up at her as if he had
been reproved for his care. His eyes shone like the glint of
The Light of Western Stars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin by Robert Louis Stevenson: dig it out of the sand as far as possible.
'June 21.
'Yesterday - Sunday as it was - all hands were kept at work all
day, coaling, watering, and making a futile attempt to pull the
cable from the shore on board through the sand. This attempt was
rather silly after the experience we had gained at Cape
Spartivento. This morning we grappled, hooked the cable at once,
and have made an excellent start. Though I have called this the
small cable, it is much larger than the Bona one. - Here comes a
break down and a bad one.
'June 22.
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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 Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: I esteem them more than others? But because the commandment is added:
Honor thy father and thy mother, I behold a different man, adorned and
clothed with the majesty and glory of God. The commandment (I say) is
the chain of gold about his neck, yea, the crown upon his head which
shows to me how and why one must honor this flesh and blood.
Thus, and much more even, you must honor Baptism and esteem it
glorious on account of the Word, since He Himself has honored it both
by words and deeds; moreover, confirmed it with miracles from heaven.
For do you think it was a jest that, when Christ was baptized, the
heavens were opened and the Holy Ghost descended visibly, and
everything was divine glory and majesty?
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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 Land that Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs: the voices of later eras--the scream of the panther, the roar of
the lion, the baying of wolves and a thunderous growling which
we could attribute to nothing earthly but which one day we were
to connect with the most fearsome of ancient creatures.
One by one the others went to their rooms, until the girl and
I were left alone together, for I had permitted the watch to
go below for a few minutes, knowing that I would be on deck.
Miss La Rue was very quiet, though she replied graciously
enough to whatever I had to say that required reply. I asked
her if she did not feel well.
"Yes," she said, "but I am depressed by the awfulness of it all.
The Land that Time Forgot |
