| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Walking by Henry David Thoreau: habitable by the European, as this is? Michaux, who knew but part
of them, says that "the species of large trees are much more
numerous in North America than in Europe; in the United States
there are more than one hundred and forty species that exceed
thirty feet in height; in France there are but thirty that attain
this size." Later botanists more than confirm his observations.
Humboldt came to America to realize his youthful dreams of a
tropical vegetation, and he beheld it in its greatest perfection
in the primitive forests of the Amazon, the most gigantic
wilderness on the earth, which he has so eloquently described.
The geographer Guyot, himself a European, goes farther--farther
Walking |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Smalcald Articles by Dr. Martin Luther: souls are neglected who could be delivered: but if it is done,
the devil is there with malignant, villainous tongues without
number which envenom and pervert everything, so that
nevertheless the fruit [the usefulness of the writings] is
prevented. Yet what they gain thereby is manifest. For while
they have lied so shamefully against us and by means of lies
wished to retain the people, God has constantly advanced His
work, and been making their following ever smaller and ours
greater, and by their lies has caused and still causes them to
be brought to shame.
I must tell a story. There was a doctor sent here to
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Travels with a Donkey in the Cevenne by Robert Louis Stevenson: since the Abbot was from home, and lay my case immediately before
him.
'C'EST MON CONSEIL COMME ANCIEN MILITAIRE,' observed the
commandant; 'ET CELUI DE MONSIEUR COMME PRETRE.'
'OUI,' added the CURE, sententiously nodding; 'COMME ANCIEN
MILITAIRE - ET COMME PRETRE.'
At this moment, whilst I was somewhat embarrassed how to answer, in
came one of the monks, a little brown fellow, as lively as a grig,
and with an Italian accent, who threw himself at once into the
contention, but in a milder and more persuasive vein, as befitted
one of these pleasant brethren. Look at HIM, he said. The rule
|
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 Whirligigs by O. Henry: She unpinned her hat and gave it to Mateo. "Keep
this, and wait here till I come," she ordered. Then she
draped the mantilla over her head as she usually did when
walking after sunset, and went straight to the Orilla del
Mar.
She was glad to see the bulky, white-clad figure of
Tio Pancho standing alone on the gallery.
"Tio Pancho," she said, with a charming smile, "may
I trouble you to ask Mr. Merriam to come out for just a
few moments that I may speak with him?"
Tio Pancho bowed as an elephant bows.
|
