| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: those plump little dogs with pink silky hair and fattened on olive
lees,--a Carthaginian dish held in abhorrence among other nations.
Surprise at the novel fare excited the greed of the stomach. The Gauls
with their long hair drawn up on the crown of the head, snatched at
the water-melons and lemons, and crunched them up with the rind. The
Negroes, who had never seen a lobster, tore their faces with its red
prickles. But the shaven Greeks, whiter than marble, threw the
leavings of their plates behind them, while the herdsmen from Brutium,
in their wolf-skin garments, devoured in silence with their faces in
their portions.
Night fell. The velarium, spread over the cypress avenue, was drawn
Salammbo |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: grander scale. But put it thus: Two human beings, the one in humble
circumstances,[4] the other a despotic ruler, perform a common act;
which of these twain will, under like conditions,[5] win the larger
thanks? I will begin with the most trifling[6] examples; and first a
simple friendly salutation, "Good day," "Good evening," dropped at
sight of some one from the lips of here a ruler, there a private
citizen. In such a case, whose salutation will sound the pleasanter to
him accosted?
[3] {to arkhein}. Cf. "Cyrop." passim.
[4] "A private person."
[5] Lit. "by like expenditure of power."
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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 An Inland Voyage by Robert Louis Stevenson: couple of SOUS for the accommodation. They were always quite full
- a bumper house - as long as nothing was going forward; but let
the show-woman appear with an eye to a collection, and at the first
rattle of her tambourine the audience slipped off the seats, and
stood round on the outside with their hands in their pockets. It
certainly would have tried an angel's temper. The showman roared
from the proscenium; he had been all over France, and nowhere,
nowhere, 'not even on the borders of Germany,' had he met with such
misconduct. Such thieves and rogues and rascals, as he called
them! And every now and again, the wife issued on another round,
and added her shrill quota to the tirade. I remarked here, as
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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 Faith of Men by Jack London: "As them's my sentiments, I reckon I might as well subscribe."
So the name of Charles Mitchell was added to the notice; and many
an old sour dough's face relaxed that day at sight of the handiwork
of a kindred spirit.
"How's the pup?" Carmack inquired when they strolled back into
camp.
"To hell with pups!" was Hootchinoo Bill's reply. "Me and Kink's
goin' a-lookin' for Too Much Gold when we get rested up."
Too Much Gold was the fabled creek of which all sour doughs
dreamed, whereof it was said the gold was so thick that, in order
to wash it, gravel must first be shovelled into the sluice-boxes.
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