| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: influence involved in some political matters which had been more
wisely let alone. She was a woman of high principle, however,
and masculine good sense, as some of her letters testify, which
are still in my wainscot cabinet.
Jemmie Falconer was the reverse of her sister in every respect.
Her understanding did not reach above the ordinary pitch, if,
indeed, she could be said to have attained it. Her beauty, while
it lasted, consisted, in a great measure, of delicacy of
complexion and regularity of features, without any peculiar force
of expression. Even these charms faded under the sufferings
attendant on an ill-assorted match. She was passionately
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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 Copy-Cat & Other Stories by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: ing with the serene consciousness that, since she was
herself, it followed as a matter of course that she was
performing all the tasks of the house.
While Annie was making an omelet Benny came
out into the kitchen and stood regarding her, hands
in pockets, making, as usual, one set of muscles rest
upon another. His face was full of the utmost good
nature, but it also convicted him of too much sloth
to obey its commands.
"Say, Annie, what on earth makes them all pick
on you so?" he observed.
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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 At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: in 1929; and both Danforth and I obtained that occasional impression
of separate Cyclopean blocks which Lake had attributed to his
flight-companion Carroll. How to account for such things in this
place was frankly beyond me, and I felt queerly humbled as a geologist.
Igneous formations often have strange regularities - like the
famous Giants’ Causeway in Ireland - but this stupendous range,
despite Lake’s original suspicion of smoking cones, was above
all else nonvolcanic in evident structure.
The curious cave
mouths, near which the odd formations seemed most abundant, presented
another albeit a lesser puzzle because of their regularity of
At the Mountains of Madness |
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 Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland: people were under the protecting care of the Roman Empire,
whose interest in them was great, and her arm mighty, and
they were thus guarded from all evil influences as well as
from all danger. Nor was this a wholly unselfish interest
on the part of the Roman power, for the little people
repaid her with rich presents of the most costly gems,--
pearls, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones."
I need not say I was beginning to be surprised at the
number of tales the old woman told which corresponded
to those I had been accustomed to read and hear in my
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