| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: as sure of his election, joined the circle around Cecile and
Mademoiselle Mollot. The evening was far advanced. Ten o'clock had
struck. After an enormous consumption of cakes, orgeat, punch,
lemonade, and various syrups, those who had come that evening solely
for political reasons and who were not accustomed to Madame Marion's
floors, to them aristocratic, departed,--all the more willingly,
because they were unaccustomed to sitting up so late. The evening then
began to take on its usual air of intimacy. Simon Giguet hoped that he
could now exchange a few words with Cecile, and he looked at her like
a conqueror. The look displeased her.
"My dear fellow," said Antonin to Simon, observing on his friend's
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: but sometimes we should prefer a few sentences of plain prose
narration, and a little Bewick by way of tail-piece. So that
it is not among those fables that conform most nearly to the
old model, but one had nearly said among those that most
widely differ from it, that we find the most satisfactory
examples of the author's manner.
In the mere matter of ingenuity, the metaphysical fables are
the most remarkable; such as that of the windmill who
imagined that it was he who raised the wind; or that of the
grocer's balance ('Cogito ergo sum') who considered himself
endowed with free-will, reason, and an infallible practical
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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 The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: entertaining you here within the forbidden precincts of my station.
Should Salensus Oll learn of it he would have me thrown to the apts
before the day was done."
"He dare not do that, and you know it full well, Solan,"
contradicted the black. "Too great a power of life and death
you hold over the people of Kadabra for Salensus Oll ever to risk
threatening you with death. Before ever his minions could lay
their hands upon you, you might seize this very lever from which
you have just warned me and wipe out the entire city."
The Warlord of Mars |
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 A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: of the bay; Brandeis escaped. He himself apprehended the worst if
he fell into Samoan hands; it is my diffident impression that his
life would have been safe.
On the 22nd, a new German war-ship, the EBER, of tragic memory,
came to Apia from the Gilberts, where she had been disarming
turbulent islands. The rest of that day and all night she loaded
stores from the firm, and on the morrow reached Saluafata bay.
Thanks to the misconduct of the Mataafas, the most of the foreshore
was still in the hands of the Tamaseses; and they were thus able to
receive from the EBER both the stores and weapons. The weapons had
been sold long since to Tarawa, Apaiang, and Pleasant Island;
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