| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Phantasmagoria and Other Poems by Lewis Carroll: 'Modern Painters,' and some others);
And perhaps he had not fully
Understood his author's meaning;
But, whatever was the reason,
All was fruitless, as the picture
Ended in an utter failure.
Next to him the eldest daughter:
She suggested very little,
Only asked if he would take her
With her look of 'passive beauty.'
Her idea of passive beauty
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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 Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum: will go at once and
130 Full page line-art drawing.
RENOVATING HIS MAJESTY, THE SCARECROW.
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recapture the Emerald City and place the Scarecrow again upon his throne."
"I was sure you would help me," remarked the Scarecrow in a pleased voice.
"How large an army can you assemble?"
"We do not need an army," replied the Woodman. "We four, with the aid of my
gleaming axe, are enough to strike terror into the hearts of the rebels."
"We five," corrected the Pumpkinhead.
"Five?" repeated the Tin Woodman.
The Marvelous Land of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H. B. Irving: the man from Sevres met him. "It's all up with me!" said
Eyraud, and disappeared in the darkness. At two in the morning a
police officer, who had been patrolling the town in search
of the criminal, saw, in the distance, a man walking to and fro,
seemingly uncertain which way to turn. Hearing footsteps the man
turned round and walked resolutely past the policeman, saying
good-night in Spanish. "Who are you? What's your address?" the
officer asked abruptly. "Gorski, Hotel Roma!" was the answer.
This was enough for the officer. Eyraud was know{sic} to have
passed as "Gorski," the Hotel Roma had already been searched as
one of his hiding-places. To seize and handcuff "Gorski" was the
A Book of Remarkable Criminals |
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 Vendetta by Honore de Balzac: priests. Altars were resplendent with sacramental luxury; the wreaths
of orange-flowers that crowned the figures of the Virgin were fresh.
Flowers, incense, gleaming tapers, velvet cushions embroidered with
gold, were everywhere. When the time came to hold above the heads of
Luigi and Ginevra the symbol of eternal union,--that yoke of satin,
white, soft, brilliant, light for some, lead for most,--the priest
looked about him in vain for the acolytes whose place it was to
perform that joyous function. Two of the witnesses fulfilled it for
them. The priest addressed a hasty homily to the pair on the perils of
life, on the duties they must, some day, inculcate upon their
children,--throwing in, at this point, an indirect reproach to Ginevra
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