| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: soldier, and still more so at feeling my own extreme desire to
escape from the haunted apartment, which, however, conquered all
other considerations; so that, huddling on my clothes with the
most careless haste, I made my escape from your lordship's
mansion, to seek in the open air some relief to my nervous
system, shaken as it was by this horrible rencounter with a
visitant, for such I must believe her, from the other world.
Your lordship has now heard the cause of my discomposure, and of
my sudden desire to leave your hospitable castle. In other
places I trust we may often meet, but God protect me from ever
spending a second night under that roof!"
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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 Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: stretching of the skin about his ears, for all the world as though
those members were flattening back against his skull in preparation
for deadly combat. His skin tingled. He was aglow with a
pleasurable sensation that he never before had known. He was,
upon the instant, another creature--wary, alert, ready. Thus did
the scent of Numa, the lion, transform the boy into a beast.
He had never seen a lion--his mother had gone to great pains
to prevent it. But he had devoured countless pictures of them,
and now he was ravenous to feast his eyes upon the king of
beasts in the flesh. As he trailed Akut he kept an eye cocked
over one shoulder, rearward, in the hope that Numa might rise
The Son of Tarzan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: it seemed as if it were in the very room. It was some time
before I dared open my eyes, lest they should again encounter the
horrible spectacle. When, however, I summoned courage to look
up, she was no longer visible. My first idea was to pull my
bell, wake the servants, and remove to a garret or a hay-loft, to
be ensured against a second visitation. Nay, I will confess the
truth that my resolution was altered, not by the shame of
exposing myself, but by the fear that, as the bell-cord hung by
the chimney, I might, in making my way to it, be again crossed by
the fiendish hag, who, I figured to myself, might be still
lurking about some corner of the apartment.
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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 Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: looked round at his admiring family; but no sooner had he said
these words than a terrible flash of lightning lit up the sombre
room, a fearful peal of thunder made them all start to their feet,
and Mrs. Umney fainted.
'What a monstrous climate!' said the American Minister calmly, as
he lit a long cheroot. 'I guess the old country is so
overpopulated that they have not enough decent weather for
everybody. I have always been of opinion that emigration is the
only thing for England.'
'My dear Hiram,' cried Mrs. Otis, 'what can we do with a woman who
faints?'
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