| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: intercrossing. Many will exclaim that these several causes are amply
sufficient wholly to stop the action of natural selection. I do not
believe so. On the other hand, I do believe that natural selection will
always act very slowly, often only at long intervals of time, and generally
on only a very few of the inhabitants of the same region at the same time.
I further believe, that this very slow, intermittent action of natural
selection accords perfectly well with what geology tells us of the rate and
manner at which the inhabitants of this world have changed.
Slow though the process of selection may be, if feeble man can do much by
his powers of artificial selection, I can see no limit to the amount of
change, to the beauty and infinite complexity of the coadaptations between
On the Origin of Species |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Memories and Portraits by Robert Louis Stevenson: sentimental youth, I have thus unconsciously exposed. Of their
descendant, the person of to-day, I wish to keep the secret: not
because I love him better, but because, with him, I am still in a
business partnership, and cannot divide interests.
Of the papers which make up the volume, some have appeared already
in THE CORNHILL, LONGMAN'S, SCRIBNER, THE ENGLISH ILLUSTRATED, THE
MAGAZINE OF ART, THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW; three are here in print
for the first time; and two others have enjoyed only what may he
regarded as a private circulation.
R. L S.
CONTENTS
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: back door, a distance of little over fifteen feet.
As soon as the guns were loaded I divided up the men, a man with a gun
at each window. The right-hand sitting-room window I took myself with
two guns, Marie coming with me to load, which, like all girls in that
wild country, she could do well enough. So we arranged ourselves in a
rough-and-ready fashion, and while we were doing it felt quite
cheerful--that is, all except Monsieur Leblanc, who, I noticed, seemed
very much disturbed.
I do not for one moment mean to suggest that he was afraid, as he might
well have been, for he was an extremely brave and even rash man; but I
think the knowledge that his drunken act had brought this terrible
Marie |
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 Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery: "Mrs. Barry had HER table decorated," said Anne, who was not
entirely guiltless of the wisdom of the serpent, "and the
minister paid her an elegant compliment. He said it was a feast
for the eye as well as the palate."
"Well, do as you like," said Marilla, who was quite determined
not to be surpassed by Mrs. Barry or anybody else. "Only mind
you leave enough room for the dishes and the food."
Anne laid herself out to decorate in a manner and after a fashion
that should leave Mrs. Barry's nowhere. Having abundance of roses
and ferns and a very artistic taste of her own, she made that tea
table such a thing of beauty that when the minister and his wife
Anne of Green Gables |
