| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In Darkest England and The Way Out by General William Booth: or some other purpose. My officers have been instructed to make an
exhaustive report on the way the refuse collectors of Paris deal with
the sardine tins. The industry of making tin toys will be one which
can be practised better in the Farm Colony than in the City.
If necessary, we shall bring an accomplished workman from France,
who will teach our people the way of dealing with the tin.
In connection with all this it is obvious there would be a constant
demand for packing cases, for twine, rope, and for boxes of all kinds;
for carts and cars; and, in short, we should before long have a
complete community practising almost all the trades that are to be
found in London, except the keeping of grog shops, the whole being
In Darkest England and The Way Out |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dream Life and Real Life by Olive Schreiner: acacia, that recalls that sultry summer afternoon; but the rose is in the
box still.
It is many years ago now; I was a girl of fifteen, and I went to visit in a
small up-country town. It was young in those days, and two days' journey
from the nearest village; the population consisted mainly of men. A few
were married, and had their wives and children, but most were single.
There was only one young girl there when I came. She was about seventeen,
fair, and rather fully-fleshed; she had large dreamy blue eyes, and wavy
light hair; full, rather heavy lips, until she smiled; then her face broke
into dimples, and all her white teeth shone. The hotel-keeper may have had
a daughter, and the farmer in the outskirts had two, but we never saw them.
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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 Fantastic Fables by Ambrose Bierce: for Public Opinion, "and make a radical change."
"And I," said the Blotted Escutcheon, "will retain my present
general connection with affairs, while my friend here, the Soiled
Ermine, will remain in the Judiciary."
The Political Pot said it would not boil any more unless
replenished from the Filthy Pool.
The Cohesive Power of Public Plunder quietly remarked that the two
bosses would, he supposed, naturally be his share.
"No," said the Depth of Degradation, "they have already fallen to
me."
The Man and the Wart
Fantastic Fables |
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 Daisy Miller by Henry James: seemed to relieve her. "I suffer from the liver," she said.
"I think it's this climate; it's less bracing than Schenectady,
especially in the winter season. I don't know whether you know
we reside at Schenectady. I was saying to Daisy that I certainly
hadn't found any one like Dr. Davis, and I didn't believe I should.
Oh, at Schenectady he stands first; they think everything of him.
He has so much to do, and yet there was nothing he wouldn't do for me.
He said he never saw anything like my dyspepsia, but he was
bound to cure it. I'm sure there was nothing he wouldn't try.
He was just going to try something new when we came off.
Mr. Miller wanted Daisy to see Europe for herself. But I wrote to
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