| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: former visit to the island. I don't know if Hoskin would approve
of our treatment; it consisted, I believe, mostly in a present of
stout and a recommendation to put nails in his water-tank. We also
(as you seem to have done) recommended him to leave the island; and
I remember very well how wise and kind we thought his answer. He
had half-caste children (he said) who would suffer and perhaps be
despised if he carried them elsewhere; if he left them there alone,
they would almost certainly miscarry; and the best thing was that
he should stay and die with them. But the cream of the fun was
your meeting with Burn. We not only know him, but (as the French
say) we don't know anybody else; he is our intimate and adored
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs: to visit their fellows upon other lofty mesas.
Now they were afraid; but some day they would go
in a body and fall upon Hooja and his people and slay
them all. I explained to him that I was Hooja's enemy,
and asked, when they were ready to go, that I be al-
lowed to go with them, or, better still, that they let
me go ahead and learn all that I could about the village
where Hooja dwelt so that they might attack it with
the best chance of success.
Gr-gr-gr's son seemed much impressed by my sug-
gestion. He said that when he was through in the
Pellucidar |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: frightens me because I am really interested in him. Tell him not to
intrigue with the Bonapartists, as he is now doing about that theatre.
When all these petty folks cease to ask for it insurrectionally,--
which to my mind is the synonym of constitutionally,--the government
will build it. Besides which, tell his mother to keep an eye on him."
"Oh, I'm sure she will prevent him from seeing those half-pay,
questionable people. I'll talk to her," said Mademoiselle Cormon, "for
he might lose his place in the mayor's office; and then what would he
and his mother have to live on? It makes me shudder."
As Monsieur de Talleyrand said of his wife, so the chevalier said to
himself, looking at Mademoiselle Cormon:--
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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 The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley: man of the sea: which was a pitiable sight to see; for the father
was a very brave officer, and wore two swords and a blue button;
and the mother was as pretty a lady as ever had pinched feet like a
Chinese. But you see, they had chosen to do a foolish thing just
once too often; so, by the laws of Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid, they had
to go on doing it whether they chose or not, till the coming of the
Cocqcigrues.
Ah! don't you wish that some one would go and convert those poor
heathens, and teach them not to frighten their little children into
fits?
"Now, then," said the Powwow man to Tom, "wouldn't you like to be
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