| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lock and Key Library by Julian Hawthorne, Ed.: the evening before, as it had been for the last three hundred
years, except in my dreams.
Yes, that was it; nothing but a dream,--a gruesome, haunting dream.
With an instinct of wiping out the dreadful memory, I raised my
hand wearily to my forehead. As I did so, I became conscious again
of how it hurt me. I looked at it. It was covered with half-dried
blood, and two straight clean cuts appeared, one across the palm
and one across the inside of the fingers just below the knuckles.
I looked again towards the bed, and, in the place where my hand had
rested during my faint, a small patch of red blood was to be seen.
Then it was true! Then it had all happened! With a low shuddering
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: certain dissidents, loyal to Laupepa. Being Manono people, I
daresay they were very annoying to their neighbours; the majority,
as they belonged to the same island, were the more impatient; and
one fine day fell upon and destroyed the houses and harvests of the
dissidents "according to the laws and customs of Samoa." The
president went down to the unruly island in a war-ship and was
landed alone upon the beach. To one so much a stranger to the
mansuetude of Polynesians, this must have seemed an act of
desperation; and the baron's gallantry met with a deserved success.
The six ring-leaders, acting in Mataafa's interest, had been guilty
of a delict; with Mataafa's approval, they delivered themselves
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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 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: Conseil and I were absorbed in the contemplation of our treasure,
and I was promising myself to enrich the museum with it,
when a stone unfortunately thrown by a native struck against,
and broke, the precious object in Conseil's hand.
I uttered a cry of despair! Conseil took up his gun, and aimed
at a savage who was poising his sling at ten yards from him.
I would have stopped him, but his blow took effect and broke
the bracelet of amulets which encircled the arm of the savage.
"Conseil!" cried I. "Conseil!"
"Well, sir! do you not see that the cannibal has commenced the attack?"
"A shell is not worth the life of a man," said I.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
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 Weir of Hermiston by Robert Louis Stevenson: listen to the word of a college companion.
"I will not go with you," he said. "I do not desire your company, sir;
I would be alone."
"Here, Weir, man, don't be absurd," said Innes, keeping a tight hold
upon his sleeve. "I will not let you go until I know what you mean to
do with yourself; it's no use brandishing that staff." For indeed at
that moment Archie had made a sudden - perhaps a warlike - movement.
"This has been the most insane affair; you know it has. You know very
well that I'm playing the good Samaritan. All I wish is to keep you
quiet."
"If quietness is what you wish, Mr. Innes," said Archie, "and you will
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