| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: tall and thin, with the staff and heavy shoes of a wayfarer. As
he advanced, he fixed his eyes--which were very bright--intently
upon the brightness of the furnace, as if he beheld, or expected
to behold, some object worthy of note within it.
"Good evening, stranger," said the lime-burner; "whence come you,
so late in the day?"
"I come from my search," answered the wayfarer; "for, at last, it
is finished."
"Drunk!--or crazy!" muttered Bartram to himself. "I shall have
trouble with the fellow. The sooner I drive him away, the
better."
 The Snow Image |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: The cell to which they went was the first one at the head of the
staircase. "Extremely convenient," thought Muller to himself. It
was a large room, comfortably furnished and filled now with the red
glow of the setting sun. A turning-lathe stood by the window and
an elderly man was at work at it. Gyuri called to him and he turned
and rose when he saw a stranger.
Lajos Varna was a tall, loose-jointed man with sallow skin and
tired eyes. He gave only a hasty glance at his visitor, then looked
at Gyuri. The expression in his eyes as he turned them on those of
the warder was like the look in the eyes of a well-trained dog when
it watches its master's face. Gyuri's brows were drawn close
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