| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Several Works by Edgar Allan Poe: "Pass your hand," I said, "over the wall; you cannot help
feeling the nitre. Indeed, it is very damp. Once more let me
implore you to return. No? Then I must positively leave you.
But I must first render you all the little attentions in my power."
"The Amontillado!" ejaculated my friend, not yet recovered
from his astonishment.
"True," I replied; "the Amontillado."
As I said these words I busied myself among the pile of bones
of which I have before spoken. Throwing them aside, I soon un-
covered a quantity of building stone and mortar. With these
materials and with the aid of my trowel, I began vigorously to wall
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: The engineer bent over the opening. Formerly from this place could
be heard the powerful whistle of the air inhaled by the ventilators.
It was now a silent abyss. It was like being at the mouth of
some extinct volcano.
When the mine was being worked, ingenious machines were used in certain
shafts of the Aberfoyle colliery, which in this respect was very well off;
frames furnished with automatic lifts, working in wooden slides,
oscillating ladders, called "man-engines," which, by a simple movement,
permitted the miners to descend without danger.
But all these appliances had been carried away, after the cessation
of the works. In the Yarrow shaft there remained only a long succession
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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 Bab:A Sub-Deb, Mary Roberts Rinehart by Mary Roberts Rinehart: I have called Hannah and given her my old watch, with money to for
a new chrystal. Also stood by at Salute while my father brought in
the Emblem. For William can no longer do it, as he was not really
a Butler at all but a Secret Service Inspector, and also being
still in the Hospital, although improving.
He had not told the Familey, as he was afraid they would not then
treat him as a real Butler. As for the code in the pantrey, it was
really not such, but the silver list, beginning with 48 D. K. or
dinner knives, etcetera. When taking my Father's Dispach Case from
the safe, it was to keep the real Spies from getting it. He did it
every night, and took the important papers out until morning, when
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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 A treatise on Good Works by Dr. Martin Luther: the parents are blinded, and neither know nor honor God according
to the first three Commandments; hence also they cannot see what
the children lack, and how they ought to teach and train them.
For this reason they train them for worldly honors, pleasure and
possessions, that they may by all means please men and reach high
positions: this the children like, and they obey very gladly
without gainsaying.
Thus God's Commandment secretly comes to naught while all seems
good, and that is fulfilled which is written in the Prophets
Isaiah and Jeremiah, that the children are destroyed by their own
parents, and they do like the king Manasseh, who sacrificed his
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