| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: requires one to speak of the evil, to prefer charges, to investigate
and testify; and it is not different from the case of a physician who
is sometimes compelled to examine and handle the patient whom he is to
cure in secret parts. Just so governments, father and mother, brothers
and sisters, and other good friends, are under obligation to each other
to reprove evil wherever it is needful and profitable.
But the true way in this matter would be to observe the order
according to the Gospel, Matt. 18, 15, where Christ says: If thy
brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between
thee and him alone. Here you have a precious and excellent teaching for
governing well the tongue, which is to be carefully observed against
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Wrecker by Stevenson & Osbourne: morning's loss, as I discovered later on; and from this ungenial
task he was readily diverted by the sight of a new face.
"Say, Freshman," he said, "what's your name? What? Son of
Big Head Dodd? What's your figure? Ten thousand? O,
you're away up! What a soft-headed clam you must be to touch
your books!"
I asked him what else I could do, since the books were to be
examined once a month.
"Why, you galoot, you get a clerk!" cries he. "One of our dead
beats--that's all they're here for. If you're a successful operator,
you need never do a stroke of work in this old college."
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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 Rinkitink In Oz by L. Frank Baum: hard to laugh in the face of this mighty disaster. Even
the goat, contrary to its usual habit, refrained from
saying anything disagreeable. As for the poor boy whose
home was now a wilderness, the tears came often to his
eyes as he marked the ruin of his dearly loved island.
When, at nightfall, they reached the lower end of
Pingaree and found it swept as bare as the rest, Inga's
grief was almost more than he could bear. Everything
had been swept from him -- parents, home and country --
in so brief a time that his bewilderment was equal to
his sorrow.
Rinkitink In Oz |
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 Aspern Papers by Henry James: an appeal to me to deal fairly, generously with her.
I had brought her to the Piazza, placed her among charming
influences, paid her an attention she appreciated, and now I
seemed to let her perceive that all this had been a bribe--
a bribe to make her turn in some way against her aunt.
She was of a yielding nature and capable of doing almost anything
to please a person who was kind to her; but the greatest
kindness of all would be not to presume too much on this.
It was strange enough, as I afterward thought, that she
had not the least air of resenting my want of consideration
for her aunt's character, which would have been in the worst
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