| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: southern bank, but far above the water, runs the high road to
Braemar and the Linn of Dee. On the other side of the river,
nestling among the trees, is the low white manor-house,
"An ancient home of peace."
It is a place where one who had been wearied and perchance sore
wounded in the battle of life might well desire to be carried, as
Arthur to the island valley of Avilion, for rest and healing.
I have no thought of renewing the conflicts and cares that filled
that summer with sorrow. There were fightings without and fears
within; there was the surrender of an enterprise that had been
cherished since boyhood, and the bitter sense of irremediable
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tom Grogan by F. Hopkinson Smith: o'clock at night. Nobody stopped me or iver looked into me bundle
of straw where me poor boy lay; an' I rung the bell, an' they came
out, an' got him up into the ward, an' laid him on the bed. Dr.
Mason was on night duty, an' come an' looked at him, an' said I
must come over the next day; an' I kissed me poor Tom an' left him
tucked in, promisin' to be back early in the mornin'. I had got
only as far as the gate on the street whin one of the men came
a-runnin' after me. I thought he had fainted, and ran back as
fast as I could, but when I got me arms under him again--he was
dead."
"And all this seven years ago, Tom?" said Babcock in astonishment,
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