| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: common circulation, would it be looked on as a liberty if I was
to cut a slide here or take a turn in the corner all to myself?"
"You may skate over there if you wish," she said, after a pause
for consideration, pointing to a deserted spot at the leeward end
of the pond, where the ice was too rough for comfortable skating.
"Nobly spoke!" he cried, with a grin, hurrying to the place
indicated, where, skating being out of the question, he made a
pair of slides, and gravely exercised himself upon them until his
face glowed and his fingers tingled in the frosty air. The time
passed quickly; when Miss Ward sent for him to take off her
skates there was a general groan and declaration that it could
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: Piraeus. Here, as chance would have it, the whole light and heavy
infantry of the Piraeus men were getting under arms; and in an instant
their light troops rushed out and dashed at the assailants; thick and
fast flew missiles of all sorts--javelins, arrows and sling stones.
The Lacedaemonians finding the number of their wounded increasing
every minute, and sorely called, slowly fell back step by step, eyeing
their opponents. These meanwhile resolutely pressed on. Here fell
Chaeron and Thibrachus, both polemarchs, here also Lacrates, an
Olympic victor, and other Lacedaemonians, all of whom now lie entombed
before the city gates in the Ceramicus.[17]
[14] The Halipedon is the long stretch of flat sandy land between
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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 Long Odds by H. Rider Haggard: if the lion got _me_ some condign punishment would overtake _him._ It
would not go in, so I tried to pull it out. It would not come out
either, and my gun was useless if I could not shut it to use the other
barrel. I might as well have had no gun.
"Meanwhile I was walking backward, keeping my eye on the lioness, who
was creeping forward on her belly without a sound, but lashing her tail
and keeping her eye on me; and in it I saw that she was coming in a few
seconds more. I dashed my wrist and the palm of my hand against the
brass rim of the cartridge till the blood poured from them--look, there
are the scars of it to this day!"
Here Quatermain held up his right hand to the light and showed us four
Long Odds |
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 Moon-Face and Other Stories by Jack London: the will was probated and made public. Today I was notified that a woman of
the middle class would be killed in Golden Gate Park, in faraway San
Francisco. The despatches in to-night's papers give the details of the brutal
happening--details which correspond with those furnished me in advance.
It is useless. I cannot struggle against the inevitable. I have been faithful
to Mr. Hale and have worked hard. Why my faithfulness should have been thus
rewarded I cannot understand. Yet I cannot be false to my trust, nor break my
word by compromising. Still, I have resolved that no more deaths shall be upon
my head. I have willed the many millions I lately received to their rightful
owners. Let the stalwart sons of Eben Hale work out their own salvation. Ere
you read this I shall have passed on. The Minions of Midas are all-powerful.
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