| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: before they started, give each man his share. So Mr. O. waxed very
mad, and swore that he would never be served by men who did not
trust him, and so went in again; and that night was spent in great
disquiet, I and those five others keeping watch about the house of
boughs till the rest fell asleep, in their drink. And next
morning, when the wine was gone out of them, Mr. O. asked them
whether they would go to the hills with him, and find those
negroes, and persuade them after all to carry the treasure. To
which they agreed after awhile, thinking that so they should save
themselves labor; and went off with Mr. Oxenham, leaving us six who
had stood by him to watch the lady and the treasure, after he had
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Collection of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter: holding Pig-wig's arm.
The grocer, intent upon his news-
paper, might have passed them, if
his horse had not shied and snorted.
He pulled the cart crossways, and
held down his whip. "Hallo!
Where are YOU going to?"--Pigling
Bland stared at him vacantly.
"Are you deaf? Are you going
to market?" Pigling nodded slowly.
"I thought as much. It 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 The Chinese Boy and Girl by Isaac Taylor Headland: the block to drive it out of the square. If he fails, the one
who placed the block takes the stick, and another places the
block for him. If he succeeds he has the privilege of striking
the block three times as follows: He first strikes it
perpendicularly, which causes it to bound up two or three feet,
when he hits it as one would hit a ball, driving it as far as
possible. This he repeats three times, and if he succeeds
in driving it the distance agreed upon, which may be 20,
50, 200, 300, 500 or more feet, he wins the game. If not
he brings back the block and tries again, continuing
to strike until he fails to drive it out of the square. This
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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 The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: There we two bent our dark heads over a half-unrolled chart
lying on my bed.
"There," I said. "It's got to be Koh-ring. I've been looking
at it ever since sunrise. It has got two hills and a low point.
It must be inhabited. And on the coast opposite there is what looks
like the mouth of a biggish river--with some towns, no doubt, not far up.
It's the best chance for you that I can see."
"Anything. Koh-ring let it be."
He looked thoughtfully at the chart as if surveying chances and
distances from a lofty height--and following with his eyes his own
figure wandering on the blank land of Cochin-China, and then passing
The Secret Sharer |
