| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Soul of a Bishop by H. G. Wells: other intellectual interests; like every one else the bishop swam
deep in Nietzsche, Bernhardi, Houston Stewart Chamberlain, and
the like; he preached several sermons upon German materialism and
the astonishing decay of the German character. He also read every
newspaper he could lay his hands on--like any secular man. He
signed an address to the Russian Orthodox church, beginning
"Brethren," and he revised his impressions of the Filioque
controversy. The idea of a reunion of the two great state
churches of Russia and England had always attracted him. But
hitherto it had been a thing quite out of scale, visionary,
utopian. Now in this strange time of altered perspectives it
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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 Street of Seven Stars by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "The first for a week," she said. "Pull out the wardrobe, Scatch;
there may be another relic of my prosperous days."
But little Scatchett was not interested in Austrian cigarettes
with a government monopoly and gilt tips. She was looking at the
ten-kronen piece.
"Where is the other?" she asked in a whisper.
"In my powder-box."
Little Scatchett lifted the china lid and dropped the tiny
gold-piece.
"Every little bit," she said flippantly, but still in a whisper,
"added to what she's got, makes just a little bit more."
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