| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The First Men In The Moon by H. G. Wells: this glass will clear. We can't do anything till then. It's night here
yet; we must wait for the day to overtake us. Meanwhile, don't you feel
hungry?"
For a space I did not answer him, but sat fretting. I turned reluctantly
from the smeared puzzle of the glass and stared at his face. " Yes,"I
said, "I am hungry. I feel somehow enormously disappointed. I had expected
- I don't know what I had expected, but not this."
I summoned my philosophy, and rearranging my blanket about me sat down on
the bale again and began my first meal on the moon. I don't think I
finished it - I forget. Presently, first in patches, then running rapidly
together into wider spaces, came the clearing of the glass, came the
The First Men In The Moon |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Options by O. Henry: let's hear your entitlements,' he goes on, 'and the meeting will be
open.'
"'Well,' says I, 'I am known as one W. D. Finch. Occupation,
capitalist. Address, 54' East Thirty-second--'
"'New York,' chips in the Noble Grand. 'I know,' says he, grinning.
'It ain't the first time you've seen it go down on the blotter. I can
tell by the way you hand it out. Well, explain "capitalist."'
"I tells this boss plain what I come for and how I come to came.
"'Gold-dust ?' says he, looking as puzzled as a baby that's got a
feather stuck on its molasses finger. 'That's funny. This ain't a
gold-mining country. And you invested all your capital on a
Options |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Protagoras by Plato: Protagoras himself thought that they would.
Well then, my friends, I say to them; seeing that the salvation of human
life has been found to consist in the right choice of pleasures and pains,
--in the choice of the more and the fewer, and the greater and the less,
and the nearer and remoter, must not this measuring be a consideration of
their excess and defect and equality in relation to each other?
This is undeniably true.
And this, as possessing measure, must undeniably also be an art and
science?
They will agree, he said.
The nature of that art or science will be a matter of future consideration;
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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 Tales of the Klondyke by Jack London: odder, altogedder!"
GRIT OF WOMEN
A wolfish head, wistful-eyed and frost-rimed, thrust aside the
tent-flaps.
"Hi! Chook! Siwash! Chook, you limb of Satan!" chorused the
protesting inmates. Bettles rapped the dog sharply with a tin
plate, and it withdrew hastily. Louis Savoy refastened the flaps,
kicked a frying-pan over against the bottom, and warmed his hands.
It was very cold without. Forty-eight hours gone, the spirit
thermometer had burst at sixty-eight below, and since that time it
had grown steadily and bitterly colder. There was no telling when
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