| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ursula by Honore de Balzac: Jordy while living, and the doctor always waited till their child was
in bed before they began their favorite game. Sometimes the visitors
came early when she was out for a walk, and the game would be going on
when she returned; then she resigned herself with infinite grace and
took her seat at the window with her work. She had a repugnance to the
game, which is really in the beginning very hard and unconquerable to
some minds, so that unless it be learned in youth it is almost
impossible to take it up in after life.
The night of her first communion, when Ursula came into the salon
where her godfather was sitting alone, she put the backgammon-board
before him.
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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 Witch, et. al by Anton Chekhov: and the feeling of youth, health, vigour -- he was only
twenty-two -- and the inexpressible sweet expectation of
happiness, of unknown mysterious happiness, took possession of
him little by little, and life seemed to him enchanting,
marvellous, and full of lofty meaning.
IN THE RAVINE
I
THE village of Ukleevo lay in a ravine so that only the belfry
and the chimneys of the printed cottons factories could be seen
from the high road and the railway-station. When visitors asked
what village this was, they were told:
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