| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: the park ran alongside of the highway for two or three hundred
yards; and through the different points by which the eye found
glimpses into the woodland scenery, it seemed to be well stocked.
Other points of view opened in succession--now a full one of the
front of the old castle, and now a side glimpse at its particular
towers, the former rich in all the bizarrerie of the Elizabethan
school, while the simple and solid strength of other parts of the
building seemed to show that they had been raised more for
defence than ostentation.
Delighted with the partial glimpses which he obtained of the
castle through the woods and glades by which this ancient feudal
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lin McLean by Owen Wister: effects, and that remarkable fly-buzzing of violins which is proounced so
helpful in times of peril and sentiment. The children of Captain Grant
had been tracking their father all over the equator and other scenic
spots, and now the north pole was about to impale them. The Captain's
youngest child, perceiving a hummock rushing at them with a sudden
motion, loudly shouted, "Sister, the ice is closing in!" and she replied,
chastely, "Then let us pray." It was a superb tableau: the ice split, and
the sun rose and joggled at once to the zenith. The act-drop fell, and
male Denver, wrung to its religious deeps, went out to the rum-shop.
Of course Mr. McLean and his party did not do this. The party had
applauded exceedingly the defeat of the elements, and the leader, with
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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 Herland by Charlotte Gilman: maps, to make a globe, even, out of a spherical fruit, and show
the size and relation of the countries, and to tell of the numbers
of their people. All this had been scant and in outline, but they
quite understood.
I find I succeed very poorly in conveying the impression I
would like to of these women. So far from being ignorant, they
were deeply wise--that we realized more and more; and for clear
reasoning, for real brain scope and power they were A No. 1, but
there were a lot of things they did not know.
They had the evenest tempers, the most perfect patience and
good nature--one of the things most impressive about them all
Herland |
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 War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: the beam swung close over their heads, lighting the tops of
the beech trees that line the road, and splitting the bricks,
smashing the windows, firing the window frames, and bring-
ing down in crumbling ruin a portion of the gable of the
house nearest the corner.
In the sudden thud, hiss, and glare of the igniting trees,
the panic-stricken crowd seems to have swayed hesitatingly
for some moments. Sparks and burning twigs began to fall
into the road, and single leaves like puffs of flame. Hats and
dresses caught fire. Then came a crying from the common.
There were shrieks and shouts, and suddenly a mounted
War of the Worlds |
