| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from War and the Future by H. G. Wells: an infantryman, a cavalryman, a gunner or an engineer. It will
be interesting to trace the changes that have happened to all
these arms.
Before this war began speculative writers had argued that
infantry drill in close formation had now no fighting value
whatever, that it was no doubt extremely necessary for the
handling, packing, forwarding and distribution of men, but that
the ideal infantry fighter was now a highly individualised and
self-reliant man put into a pit with a machine gun, and supported
by a string of other men bringing him up supplies and ready to
assist him in any forward rush that might be necessary.
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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 Firm of Nucingen by Honore de Balzac: muddled her wits.
" 'I have ALWAYS had six thousand francs for our dress allowance,' she
said to Malvina. 'Why, how did your father find money? We shall have
nothing now with twenty-four thousand francs; it is destitution! Oh!
if my father could see me so come down in the world, it would kill him
if he were not dead already! Poor Wilhelmine!' and she began to cry.
"Malvina, puzzled to know how to comfort her mother, represented to
her that she was still young and pretty, that rose-color still became
her, that she could continue to go to the Opera and the Bouffons,
where Mme. de Nucingen had a box. And so with visions of gaieties,
dances, music, pretty dresses, and social success, the Baroness was
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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 Daisy Miller by Henry James: he saw that this glance was perfectly direct and unshrinking.
It was not, however, what would have been called an immodest glance,
for the young girl's eyes were singularly honest and fresh.
They were wonderfully pretty eyes; and, indeed, Winterbourne had not
seen for a long time anything prettier than his fair countrywoman's
various features--her complexion, her nose, her ears, her teeth.
He had a great relish for feminine beauty; he was addicted to
observing and analyzing it; and as regards this young lady's face
he made several observations. It was not at all insipid, but it
was not exactly expressive; and though it was eminently delicate,
Winterbourne mentally accused it--very forgivingly--of a want of finish.
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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 Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: until near the dawning of the day. Then the travelling companion
bade the servant be stirring, and up they got, and out of the
chest they came, and found all the robbers sound asleep and
snoring so that the dust flew.
"Stop a bit," said the angel--the travelling companion--"we must
pay them for our lodging."
As he spoke he drew from his pocket the ruby ring which he had
stolen from the sorrowful young man's finger, and dropped it into
the cup from which the robber captain drank. Then he led the way
out of the house, and, if the serving-man had wondered the day
before at that which the comrade did, he wondered ten times more
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