| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen: and thought about his geography lesson, and of Zealand, and of all that his
master had told him. He ought, to be sure, to have read over his lesson again,
but that, you know, he could not do. He therefore put his geography-book under
his pillow, because he had heard that was a very good thing to do when one
wants to learn one's lesson; but one cannot, however, rely upon it entirely.
Well, there he lay, and thought and thought, and all at once it was just as if
someone kissed his eyes and mouth: he slept, and yet he did not sleep; it was
as though the old washerwoman gazed on him with her mild eyes and said, "It
were a great sin if you were not to know your lesson tomorrow morning. You
have aided me, I therefore will now help you; and the loving God will do so at
all times." And all of a sudden the book under Tuk's pillow began scraping and
Fairy Tales |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: and had become sceptical. He ceased to have fixed principles of right
and wrong, for he saw what was called a crime in one country lauded as
a virtue in another. In the perpetual struggle of selfish interests
his heart grew cold, then contracted, and then dried up. The blood of
the Grandets did not fail of its destiny; Charles became hard, and
eager for prey. He sold Chinamen, Negroes, birds' nests, children,
artists; he practised usury on a large scale; the habit of defrauding
custom-houses soon made him less scrupulous about the rights of his
fellow men. He went to the Island of St. Thomas and bought, for a mere
song, merchandise that had been captured by pirates, and took it to
ports where he could sell it at a good price. If the pure and noble
Eugenie Grandet |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: water his greatness, so that it may grow into a tree that shall shade
the land. Let Macumazahn bid him not to be angry with me, since what I
do I do for his good, as he would have found no happiness while Nandie
and I dwelt in one house. Above all, also let him not be angry with the
Prince, who loves him more than any man, and does but travel whither the
wind that I breathe blows him. Bid Macumazahn think of me kindly, as I
shall of him while my eyes are open.'"
I listened to this amazing message in silence, then asked if Mameena was
alone.
"No, Baas; Umbelazi and some soldiers were with her, but they did not
hear her words, for she stepped aside to speak with me. Then she
Child of Storm |
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 Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy: jailer, with an unpleasant face, in this corridor.
"Where is Menshoff?" asked the inspector's assistant.
"The eighth cell to the left."
"And these? Are they occupied?" asked Nekhludoff.
Yes, all but one."
CHAPTER LII.
NO. 21.
"May I look in?" asked Nekhludoff.
"Oh, certainly," answered the assistant, smiling, and turned to
the jailer with some question.
Nekhludoff looked into one of the little holes, and saw a tall
Resurrection |
