| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Enemies of Books by William Blades: of the Histories of Troye," translated and printed by William Caxton,
for the Duchess of Burgundy, sister to our Edward IV. It is true,
though almost incredible, that Sir Thomas could never find this volume,
although it is doubtless still in the collection, and no wonder,
when cases of books bought twenty years before his death were never opened,
and the only knowledge of their contents which he possessed was
the Sale Catalogue or the bookseller's invoice.
CHAPTER X.
SERVANTS AND CHILDREN.
READER! are you married? Have you offspring, boys especially
I mean, say between six and twelve years of age? Have you also
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sons of the Soil by Honore de Balzac: enough to do for the whole of the coming year. But remember one thing;
the wood is for ourselves! Not a single depredation, or the thing is
at an end. Send all interlopers to Les Aigues. If there's brush or
fagots to sell make people buy ours; don't let them buy of Les Aigues.
You'll get back to your place as field-keeper before long; this thing
can't last. The general will get sick of living among thieves. Did you
know that that Shopman called me a thief, me!--son of the stanchest
and most incorruptible of republicans; me!--the son in law of Mouchon,
that famous representative of the people, who died without leaving me
enough to bury him?"
The general raised the salary of the new field-keeper to three hundred
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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 Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: simply, but there was a note of sadness in her voice.
"How came you here, Thuvia?" I asked. "And where is Tars Tarkas?"
"The great Thark, I fear, is dead," she replied sadly.
"He was a mighty fighter, but a multitude of green warriors
of another horde than his overwhelmed him. The last that I
saw of him they were bearing him, wounded and bleeding,
to the deserted city from which they had sallied to attack us."
"You are not sure that he is dead, then?" I asked.
"And where is this city of which you speak?"
"It is just beyond this range of hills. The vessel in which
you so nobly resigned a place that we might find escape defied
The Gods of Mars |
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 Reminiscences of Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy: helpless-
¹Maria Mikháilovna, his wife.
ness, and, above all, the fear that you are a burden to others.
That's awful, awful."
Uncle Seryózha died in 1904 of cancer in the face.
This is what my aunt, María Nikoláyevna,¹ the
nun, told me about his death. Almost to the last day he was on his
legs, and would not let any one nurse him. He was in full
possession of his faculties and consciously prepared for death.
Besides his own family, the aged María
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