| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H. B. Irving: Opera on the 13th. Her lover was rather surprised at her
request, nor did he wish to appear with her at so public a
gathering. "I don't understand," he writes, "why you are so
anxious to go to the Opera. I can't see any real reason for your
wanting to tire yourself out at such a disreputable gathering.
However, if you are happy and well, and promise to be careful, I
will take you. I would be the last person, my dear little wife,
to deny you anything that would give you pleasure." But for some
reason Georges was unhappy, depressed. Some undefined
presentiment of evil seems to have oppressed him. His brother
noticed his pre-occupation.
A Book of Remarkable Criminals |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: strong enough to get the same, by all means fair or foul. No. The
tortoise of the human race does not stand on a savage. The savage
may stand on an ape-like creature. I do not say that he does not.
I do not say that he does. I do not know; and no man knows. But at
least I say that the civilised man and his world stand not upon
creatures like to any savage now known upon the earth. For first,
it seems to be most unlikely; and next, and more important to an
inductive philosopher, there is no proof of it. I see no savages
becoming really civilised men--that is, not merely men who will ape
the outside of our so-called civilisation, even absorb a few of our
ideas; not merely that; but truly civilised men who will think for
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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 Edingburgh Picturesque Notes by Robert Louis Stevenson: Nineteenth Day of OCTOBER 1726, and every One of us to
acquaint Friends of the Day and Hour, being WEDNESDAY,
the Day of the Week on which most of them were executed,
and at 4 of the Clock at Night, being the Hour that most
of them went to their resting Graves. We caused make a
compleat Coffin for them in Black, with four Yards of
fine Linen, the way that our Martyrs Corps were managed.
. . . Accordingly we kept the aforesaid Day and Hour, and
doubled the Linen, and laid the Half of it below them,
their nether jaws being parted from their Heads; but
being young Men, their Teeth remained. All were Witness
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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 Heart of the West by O. Henry: to death' with some news that couldn't wait.
"'Oh, Rush,' she says, all flushed up with esteem and gratification,
'what do you think! Dad's going to buy me a piano. Ain't it grand? I
never dreamed I'd ever have one."
"'It's sure joyful,' says I. 'I always admired the agreeable uproar of
a piano. It'll be lots of company for you. That's mighty good of Uncle
Cal to do that.'
"'I'm all undecided,' says Marilla, 'between a piano and an organ. A
parlour organ is nice.'
"'Either of 'em,' says I, 'is first-class for mitigating the lack of
noise around a sheep-ranch. For my part,' I says, 'I shouldn't like
Heart of the West |
