| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Iron Puddler by James J. Davis: iron of the republic shall beat down the iron of the kings.
Wherever I walked behind the battle lines in France I told them I
was an iron worker and I gave them this message for you:
"'The American iron worker will not fail you. We have been
taught to believe in justice as the German believes in might. We
will back up our soldiers with ships and guns until Kaiserisim is
beaten. We will set the workers of Germany free--free from their
foul belief in murder and in kings. And when we have bound up our
wounds we will build a new world that shall be a freer world than
man has ever known.'
"I have dedicated my life to this purpose. We will build this
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: had passed from my heart to his.
"That thief Umbelazi!" Strange words to be uttered by a great vassal of
his lord, and both of them about to enter upon a desperate enterprise.
"A prince whom in her folly she believes will be a king." Stranger
words still. Then Saduko did not believe that he _would_ be a king!
And yet he was about to share the fortunes of his fight for the throne,
he who said that his heart was still on fire for the woman whom
"Umbelazi the thief" had stolen. Well, if I were Umbelazi, thought I to
myself, I would rather that Saduko were not my chief councillor and
general. But, thank Heaven! I was not Umbelazi, or Saduko, or any of
them! And, thank Heaven still more, I was going to begin my trek from
Child of Storm |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Chronicles of the Canongate by Walter Scott: do, Robin. We must have a turn-up, or we shall be the talk of
the country-side. I'll be d--d if I hurt thee--I'll put on the
gloves gin thou like. Come, stand forward like a man."
"To be peaten like a dog," said Robin; "is there any reason in
that? If you think I have done you wrong, I'll go before your
shudge, though I neither know his law nor his language."
A general cry of "No, no--no law, no lawyer! a bellyful and be
friends," was echoed by the bystanders.
"But," continued Robin, "if I am to fight, I have no skill to
fight like a jackanapes, with hands and nails."
"How would you fight then?" said his antagonist; "though I am
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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 Chance by Joseph Conrad: nothing this woman had had the cruelty to say deserved to be taken
to heart. The girl, exhausted, cried quietly for a time. It may be
she had noticed something evasive in Mrs. Fyne's assurances. After
a while, without stirring, she whispered brokenly:
"That awful woman told me that all the world would call papa these
awful names. Is it possible? Is it possible?"
Mrs. Fyne kept silent.
"Do say something to me, Mrs. Fyne," the daughter of de Barral
insisted in the same feeble whisper.
Again Mrs. Fyne assured me that it had been very trying. Terribly
trying. "Yes, thanks, I will." She leaned back in the chair with
Chance |
