| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Iron Puddler by James J. Davis: until the water can get into his system and quench the man's
thirst. Iron workers in the Old World have used malt beverages
for generations. Why take away the other man's pleasure if it
doesn't injure you? If it was deadly we would have been weakened
in the course of generations. But look at the worker's body. It
is four times as strong as yours." I saw an envious look in his
eye.
"Of course I inherited my muscular build," I apologized, "and
so I try to make the most of it in boasting to you fellows who
haven't any muscle. But really I envy you. You have education and
brain power. That's what I lack and that's what I want above all
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll: "Only I thought you were too sleepy for it to-night."
We took our midnight meal almost in silence; for an unusual nervousness
seemed to have seized on my old friend.
"What kind of a night is it?" he asked, rising and undrawing the
window-curtains, apparently to change the subject for a minute.
I followed him to the window, and we stood together, looking out,
in silence.
"When I first spoke to you about--" Arthur began, after a long and
embarrassing silence, "that is, when we first talked about her--for I
think it was you that introduced the subject--my own position in life
forbade me to do more than worship her from a distance:
Sylvie and Bruno |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: after a while that the young girl with blue eyes and dark
hair was the pretty sister of whom Mrs. Westgate had spoken.
She presently turned to him with a remark which established
her identity.
"It's a great pity you couldn't have brought my brother-in-law with you.
It's a great shame he should be in New York in these days."
"Oh, yes; it's so very hot," said Lord Lambeth.
"It must be dreadful," said the young girl.
"I daresay he is very busy," Lord Lambeth observed.
"The gentlemen in America work too much," the young girl went on.
"Oh, do they? I daresay they like it," said her interlocutor.
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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 A Voyage to Abyssinia by Father Lobo: very numerous, fierce, and unconquerable, inhabiting a country full
of mountains, which are covered with woods, and hollowed by nature
into vast caverns, many of which are capable of containing several
numerous families, and hundreds of cows. To these recesses the
Agaus betake themselves when they are driven out of the plain, where
it is almost impossible to find them, and certain ruin to pursue
them. This people increases extremely, every man being allowed so
many wives as he hath hundreds of cows, and it is seldom that the
hundreds are required to be complete.
In the eastern part of this kingdom, on the declivity of a mountain,
whose descent is so easy that it seems a beautiful plain, is that
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