| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H. B. Irving: and sympathetic man. "If you want my true opinion of him," says
Detective Parrock, "he was a burglar to the backbone but not a
murderer at heart. He deserved the fate that came to him as
little as any who in modern times have met with a like one."
Those who are in the fighting line are always the most generous
about their adversaries. Parrock as a potential target for
Peace's revolver, may have erred on the side of generosity, but
there is some truth in what he says.
As Peace himself admitted, his life had been base. He was well
aware that he had misused such gifts as nature had bestowed on
him. One must go back to mediaeval times to find the
A Book of Remarkable Criminals |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: beat. But as I would not lie and say that I was ill--I am naturaly
truthful, as far as possible--I was compelled to go, although my
heart was breaking.
I am not going to write much about the party, except a slight
discription, which properly belongs in every Theme.
All Parties for the school set are alike. The boys range from
knickerbockers to college men in their Freshmen year, and one is
likely to dance half the evening with youngsters that one saw last
in their perambulaters. It is rather startling to have about six
feet of black trouser legs and white shirt front come and ask one
to dance and then to get one's eyes raised as far as the top of
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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 Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: mounted; charming fantastic figures run all over the frame, on the
feet, the supporting bar, and the wings; the whole thing is wrought
like a fan.
Dearly should I like to know who was the giver of this dainty work of
art, which was such a favorite with her. How often have I seen the old
lady, her feet upon the bar, reclining in the easy-chair, with her
dress half raised in front, toying with the snuff-box, which lay upon
the ledge between her box of pastilles and her silk mits. What a
coquette she was! to the day of her death she took as much pains with
her appearance as though the beautiful portrait had been painted only
yesterday, and she were waiting to receive the throng of exquisites
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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 Alkahest by Honore de Balzac: Claes foresaw the loss of their property. She fully understood the
deliberate ardor, the well-considered, inalterable steadfastness of
Balthazar; if it were indeed true that he was seeking to make gold, he
was capable of throwing his last crust into the crucible with absolute
indifference. But what was he really seeking? Up to this time maternal
feeling and conjugal love had been so mingled in the heart of this
woman that the children, equally beloved by husband and wife, had
never come between them. Suddenly she found herself at times more
mother than wife, though hitherto she had been more wife than mother.
However ready she had been to sacrifice her fortune and even her
children to the man who had chosen her, loved her, adored her, and to
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