Today's Stichomancy for Louis Armstrong

The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler:

have been unable to ascertain whether either 'May- day' or 'A Good Spec' was ever printed or not.

Tyler's modesty or indifference as to his literary rep- utation, as evidenced in his treatment of his plays, characterized his conduct throughout life with respect to his other works; so that, of the many productions of his pen that have been printed, the only one that bears his name upon the title-page is a set of Vermont Law Reports. And though early in life he acquired among literary circles a reputation as a witty and graceful writer of poetry and prose, it is doubtful whether he

The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tanach:

1_Chronicles 18: 11 These also did king David dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

1_Chronicles 18: 12 Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt eighteen thousand.

1_Chronicles 18: 13 And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the LORD gave victory to David whithersoever he went.

1_Chronicles 18: 14 And David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness unto all his people.

1_Chronicles 18: 15 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.

1_Chronicles 18: 16 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe;

1_Chronicles 18: 17 and Beniah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

1_Chronicles 19: 1 And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.

1_Chronicles 19: 2 And David said: 'l will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

The Tanach

The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield:

A glow spread all over Andreas. He was exultant.

"Well, by God! Nobody can accuse ME of not knowing what suffering is," he said.

10. THE CHILD-WHO-WAS-TIRED.

She was just beginning to walk along a little white road with tall black trees on either side, a little road that led to nowhere, and where nobody walked at all, when a hand gripped her shoulder, shook her, slapped her ear.

"Oh, oh, don't stop me," cried the Child-Who-Was-Tired. "Let me go."

"Get up, you good-for-nothing brat," said a voice; "get up and light the oven or I'll shake every bone out of your body."

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 Black Dwarf by Walter Scott:

facetious narratives and devices, tending much to the enhancement and ornament thereof. And so pleased was my Landlord of the Wallace in his replies during such colloquies, that there was no district in Scotland, yea, and no peculiar, and, as it were, distinctive custom therein practised, but was discussed betwixt us; insomuch, that those who stood by were wont to say, it was worth a bottle of ale to hear us communicate with each other. And not a few travellers, from distant parts, as well as from the remote districts of our kingdom, were wont to mingle in the conversation, and to tell news that had been gathered in foreign lands, or preserved from oblivion in this our own.