| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: the situation in the car Ontario was forming itself in my mind: the
incident at the farmhouse lacked only motive to be complete. Was
Sullivan, after all, a rascal or a criminal? Was the murderer
Sullivan or Mrs. Conway? The lady or the tiger again.
Jennie was speaking.
"I hope Miss West was not hurt?" she asked. "We liked her, all of
us. She was not like Mrs. Curtis."
I wanted to say that she was not like anybody in the world. Instead
- "She escaped with some bruises," I said.
She glanced at my arm. "You were on the train?"
"Yes."
 The Man in Lower Ten |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: that they savoured of myrrh and camphire,
which they took to be Oriental herbs. But with the
true professional hatred to a successful practitioner
of their art, they insinuated that, since the medicine
was beyond their own knowledge, it must necessarily
have been compounded from an unlawful
and magical pharmacopeia; since they themselves,
though no conjurors, fully understood every branch
of their art, so far as it might be exercised with the
good faith of a Christian. When this medical research
was ended, the Saxon peasant desired humbly
 Ivanhoe |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: just made a very important scientific discovery."
"Is it true?" said Madame Phellion, going up to Felix, and taking him
by both hands as she looked at him lovingly.
"When I say important," continued Minard, "I am only sparing your
maternal emotions; it is, in truth, a sublime, a dazzling discovery.
He is only twenty-five years old, but his name, from henceforth, is
immortal."
"And this is the man," said Madame Phellion, half beside herself, and
kissing Felix with effusion, "to whom that la Peyrade is preferred!"
"No, not preferred, madame," said Minard, "for the Thuilliers are not
the dupes of that adventurer. But he has made himself necessary to
|
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 In Darkest England and The Way Out by General William Booth: House for the Destitute in every great centre of population. We start,
let us remember, from the individual, the ragged, hungry, penniless man
who confronts us with despairing demands for food, shelter, and work.
Now, I have had some two or three years' experience in dealing with
this class. I believe, at the present moment, the Salvation Army
supplies more food and shelter to the destitute than any other
organisation in London, and it is the experience and encouragement
which I have gained in the working of these Food and Shelter Depots
which has largely encouraged me to propound this scheme.
SECTION 1.--FOOD AND SHELTER FOR EVERY MAN.
As I rode through Canada and the United States some three years ago,
 In Darkest England and The Way Out |