| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. Wells: in a common need? Is Miss Grammont, after all, likely to get
a more perfect love in all her life than this poor love of
mine? And isn't it good for her that she should love?"
"Perfect love cherishes. Perfect love foregoes."
Sir Richmond found his mind wandering far away from the
immediate question. "Perfect love," the phrase was his point
of departure. Was it true that he could not love passionately
and completely? Was that fundamentally what was the matter
with him? Was that perhaps what was the matter with the whole
world of mankind? It had not yet come to that power of loving
which makes action full and simple and direct 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 The First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells: explore my solitary half of the moon world. I dropped rather clumsily
among rocks, stood up and looked about me, clambered on to a rocky slab,
and leapt again. ...
When presently I looked for Cavor he was hidden from my eyes, but the
handkerchief showed out bravely on its headland, white in the blaze of the
sun.
I determined not to lose sight of that handkerchief whatever might betide.
Chapter 19
Mr. Bedford Alone
IN a little while it seemed to me as though I had always been alone on the
moon. I hunted for a time with a certain intentness, but the heat was
The First Men In The Moon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: thousand nearly, showed no sign of exultation, but sighed, saying,
"Alas for Hellas! since those who now lie in their graves, were able,
had they lived, to conquer the hosts of Asia."[9] Again, when some
Corinthian exiles informed him that their city was ripe for surrender,
and showed him the engines by which they were confident they would
take the walls, he refused to make the assault, saying that Hellene
cities ought not to be reduced to slavery, but brought back to a
better mind,[10] and added, "For if we lop off our offending members,
haply we may deprive ourselves of the means to master the barbarians."
[8] B.C. 394. See "Hell." IV. ii. 9-23; Diod. xiv. 83; Grote, "H. G."
ix. 429.
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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 Options by O. Henry: on the floor in front of that hard-finish god, and then sneaked off
through the woods again.
"'I wonder who gets this rake-off?' remarks High Jack.
"'Oh,' says I, 'there's priests or deputy idols or a committee of
disarrangements somewhere in the woods on the job. Wherever you find
a god you'll find somebody waiting to take charge of the burnt
offerings.'
"And then we took another swig of rum and walked out to the parlor
front door to cool off, for it was as hot inside as a summer camp on
the Palisades.
"And while we stood there in the breeze we looks down the path and
Options |
