| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Facino Cane by Honore de Balzac: I do not know how it is that I have kept the following story so long
untold. It is one of the curious things that stop in the bag from
which Memory draws out stories at haphazard, like numbers in a
lottery. There are plenty of tales just as strange and just as well
hidden still left; but some day, you may be sure, their turn will
come.
One day my charwoman, a working man's wife, came to beg me to honor
her sister's wedding with my presence. If you are to realize what this
wedding was like you must know that I paid my charwoman, poor
creature, four francs a month; for which sum she came every morning to
make my bed, clean my shoes, brush my clothes, sweep the room, 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 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: perfectly composed.
"Oh, if you had seen it, countess," said Stepan Arkadyevitch.
"And his wife was there...It was awful to hee her!...She flung
herfelf on the body. They say he was the only support of an
immense family. How awful!"
"Couldn't one do anything for her?" said Madame Karenina in an
agitated whisper.
Vronsky glanced at her, and immediately got out of the carriage.
"I'll be back directly, maman," he remarked, turning round in the
doorway.
When he came back a few minutes later, Stepan Arkadyevitch was
Anna Karenina |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Soul of a Bishop by H. G. Wells: all visible things.
Should he do something very bold and striking? Should he invite
both men and masters to the cathedral, and preach tremendous
sermons to them upon these living issues?
Short sermons, of course.
But stating the church's attitude with a new and convincing
vigour.
He had a vision of the great aisle strangely full and alive and
astir. The organ notes still echoed in the fretted vaulting, as
the preacher made his way from the chancel to the pulpit. The
congregation was tense with expectation, and for some reason his
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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 In Darkest England and The Way Out by General William Booth: every single method used by thee Salvation Army, are sufficiently in
sympathy with its great work of reclaiming drunkards, rescuing the
fallen--in a word, saving the lost--as to give it their PRAYERS,
INFLUENCE, AND MONEY.
2.--Of persons who, although seeing eye to eye with the Army, yet are
unable to join it, owing to being actively engaged in the work of their
own denominations, or by reason of bad health or other infirmities,
which forbid their taking any active part in Christian work.
Persons are enrolled either as Subscribing or Collecting Auxiliaries.
The League comprises persons of influence and position, members of
nearly all denominations, and many ministers.
In Darkest England and The Way Out |
