| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: front; deep woods all round; a mountain making in the sky a profile
of huge trees upon our left; about us, the little island of our
clearing, studded with brave old gentlemen (or ladies, or 'the twa
o' them') whom we have spared. It is a good place to be in; night
and morning, we have Theodore Rousseaus (always a new one) hung to
amuse us on the walls of the world; and the moon - this is our good
season, we have a moon just now - makes the night a piece of
heaven. It amazes me how people can live on in the dirty north;
yet if you saw our rainy season (which is really a caulker for
wind, wet, and darkness - howling showers, roaring winds, pit-
blackness at noon) you might marvel how we could endure that. And
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Finished by H. Rider Haggard: hidden from me.
Rodd and I breakfasted together and discoursed of Kaffir customs,
as to which he was singularly well informed. Then I accompanied
him to see his native patients in the little hospital of which I
have spoken. Believing the man to be a thorough scamp as I did,
it was astonishing to me to note how gentle and forbearing he was
to these people. Of his skill I need say nothing, as that was
evident. He was going to perform an internal operation upon a
burly old savage, rather a serious one I believe; at any rate it
necessitated chloroform. He asked me if I would like to assist,
but I declined respectfully, having no taste for such things. So
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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 The Underground City by Jules Verne: His search was in vain. As Harry would not admit a supernatural
explanation for a physical occurrence, he concluded that
certainly some strange being prowled about in the pit.
But whatever he could do, searching with the greatest
care, scrutinizing every crevice in the gallery, he found
nothing for his trouble.
If Jack Ryan and the other superstitious fellows in the mine had seen
these lights, they would, without fail, have called them supernatural,
but Harry did not dream of doing so, nor did his father.
And when they talked over these phenomena, evidently due to a
physical cause, "My lad," the old man would say, "we must wait.
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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 Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: Alfred, who was waltzing about the room transported into a new
heaven of delight at having snatched his heir from the danger of
another night ramble with Jimmy.
"Did a horrid old Jimmy spoil his 'itty nap'?" he gurgled to
Baby. Then with a sudden exclamation of alarm, he turned toward
the anxious women. "Aggie!" he cried, as he stared intently into
Baby's face. "Look--his rash! It's turned IN!"
Aggie pretended to glance over Alfred's shoulder.
"Why so it has," she agreed nervously.
"What shall we do?" cried the distraught Alfred.
"It's all right now," counselled Aggie, "so long as it didn't
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