| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac: few sparks of the conflagration fell into the Moreau household. For
four years the Reyberts, cut dead by the handsome Estelle, found
themselves the objects of so much animadversion on the part of the
adherents of the Moreaus that their position at Presles would not have
been endurable without the thought of vengeance which had, so far,
supported them.
The Moreaus, who were very friendly with Grindot the architect, had
received notice from him of the early arrival of the two painters sent
down to finish the decorations of the chateau, the principal paintings
for which were just completed by Schinner. The great painter had
recommended for this work the artist who was accompanied by Mistigris.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Case of the Golden Bullet by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: ashes in the bedroom stove. Letters and other trifles had been
burned there. Muller raked out the heap very carefully, but the
writing on the few pieces of paper still left whole was quite
illegible. There were several envelopes in the waste-basket, but
all of them were dated several months back. There was nothing that
could give the slightest clue.
The letter written by the murdered man was sufficient proof that
his death had been an act of vengeance. But who was it who had
carried out this secret, terrible deed? The victim had not been
allowed the time to write down the name of his murderer.
Horn took the letter into his keeping. Then he left the room,
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: walk, in the spiritual and bodily condition in which you can find
entertainment and exhilaration in so simple and natural a pastime.
You are eligible to any good fortune when you are in a condition to
enjoy a walk. When the air and water taste sweet to you, how much
else will taste sweet! When the exercise of your limbs affords you
pleasure, and the play of your senses upon the various objects and
shows of Nature quickens and stimulates your spirit, your relation
to the world and to yourself is what it should be,--simple, and
direct, and wholesome."--JOHN BURROUGHS: Pepacton.
The right to the name of Ampersand, like the territory of Gaul in
those Commentaries which Julius Caesar wrote for the punishment of
|
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 The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: against any trades or occupations--not even against any animals,
insects, or inanimate things, nor any of the laws of nature, nor
any of the results of those laws, such as illness, deformity, and
death. He never complained or grumbled either at the weather,
pain, illness, or anything else. He never swore. He could not
very well, since he never spoke in anger and apparently never was
angry. He never exhibited fear, and I do not believe he ever
felt it."[38]
[38] R. M. Bucke: Cosmic consciousness, pp. 182-186, abridged.
Walt Whitman owes his importance in literature to the systematic
expulsion from his writings of all contractile elements. The
|
