| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare: Shone like the moon in water seen by night. 492
'O! where am I?' quoth she, 'in earth or heaven,
Or in the ocean drench'd, or in the fire?
What hour is this? or morn or weary even?
Do I delight to die, or life desire? 496
But now I liv'd, and life was death's annoy;
But now I died, and death was lively joy.
'O! thou didst kill me; kill me once again:
Thy eyes' shrewd tutor, that hard heart of thine, 500
Hath taught them scornful tricks, and such disdain,
That they have murder'd this poor heart of mine;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: Dizzy-ey'd fury and great rage of heart
Suddenly made him from my side to start
Into the clustering battle of the French;
And in that sea of blood my boy did drench
His over-mounting spirit, and there died,
My Icarus, my blossom, in his pride.
SERVANT.
O my dear lord, lo where your son is borne!
[Enter soldiers, with the body of young Talbot.]
TALBOT.
Thou antic Death, which laugh'st us here to scorn,
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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 Iron Puddler by James J. Davis: his efforts. There is a glory in this fight; man feels a sense of
grandeur. We are robbing no one. From the harsh bosom of the
hills we wring the iron milk that makes us strong. Nature is no
kind mother; she resists with flood and earthquake, drought and
cyclone. Nature is fierce and formidable, but fierce is man's
soul to subdue her. The stubborn earth is iron, but man is iron
too.
CHAPTER XVIII
ON BEING A GOOD GUESSER
The charge which I have been kneading in my furnace has now
"come to nature," the stringy sponge of pure iron is separating
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: was probably for that reason that I forgot the gold bag.
She leaned forward and held out her hand. "I may not have another
chance to thank you," she said, "and I think I would better not try,
anyhow. I cannot tell you how grateful I am." I muttered something
about the gratitude being mine: owing to the knock I was seeing two
cabs, and two girls were holding out two hands.
"Remember," they were both saying, "you have never met me, Mr.
Blakeley. And - if you ever hear anything about me - that is not
- pleasant, I want you to think the best you can of me. Will you?"
The two girls were one now, with little flashes of white light
playing all around. "I - I'm afraid that I shall think too well
The Man in Lower Ten |
