| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Exiles by Honore de Balzac: Paris.
The windows of those two rooms looked out on the river. From one you
could only see the shores of the Seine, and the three barren islands,
of which two were subsequently joined together to form the Ile Saint-
Louis; the third was the Ile de Louviers. From the other could be
seen, down a vista of the Port-Saint-Landry, the buildings on the
Greve, the Bridge of Notre-Dame, with its houses, and the tall towers
of the Louvre, but lately built by Philippe-Auguste to overlook the
then poor and squalid town of Paris, which suggests so many imaginary
marvels to the fancy of modern romancers.
The ground floor of Tirechair's house consisted of a large hall, where
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: moment that even the best men stop pushing, and begin talking, they
mistake their pugnacity for piety, and it's all over. I will not
speak of the crimes which in past times have been committed in the
name of Christ, nor of the follies which are at this hour held to be
consistent with obedience to Him; but I WILL speak of the morbid
corruption and waste of vital power in religious sentiment, by which
the pure strength of that which should be the guiding soul of every
nation, the splendour of its youthful manhood, and spotless light of
its maidenhood, is averted or cast away. You may see continually
girls who have never been taught to do a single useful thing
thoroughly; who cannot sew, who cannot cook, who cannot cast an
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Straight Deal by Owen Wister: across.' A brigadier general has written a book entitled, How the Marines
Saved Paris. Beside the marines there were some engineers. And how about
M Company of the 23rd regiment of the 2nd Division? It lost in one day at
Chateau-Thierry all its men but seven. And did the general forget the 3rd
Division between Chateau-Thierry and Dormans? Don't be like that
brigadier general, and don't be like that American officer returning on
the Lapland who told the British at his table he was glad to get home
after cleaning up the mess which the British had made. Resemble as little
as possible our present Secretary of the Navy. Avoid boasting. Our
contribution to victory was quite enough without boasting. The
head-master of one of our great schools has put it thus to his schoolboys
|
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 Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: grew nearer to them Tip exclaimed:
"The Jackdaws are coming! And if they find us here they will surely kill us
in their anger."
"I was afraid of this!" moaned the Pumpkinhead. "My time has come!"
"And mine, also!" said the Woggle-Bug; "for Jackdaws are the greatest
enemies of my race."
The others were not at all afraid; but the Scarecrow at once decided to save
those of the party who were liable to be injured by the angry birds. So he
commanded Tip to take off Jack's head and lie down with it in the bottom of
the nest, and when this was done he ordered the Woggle-Bug to lie beside
Tip. Nick Chopper, who knew from past experience Just what to do, then took
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
