"Snow descending on fire"
A Question of Upbringing (1950) by Anthony Powell
From the incantory, liminal opening paragraphs of A Question of Upbringing (1950) by Anthony Powell:
The day was drawing in. For some reason, the sight of snow descending on fire always makes me think of the ancient world – legionaries in sheepskin warming themselves at a brazier: mountain altars where offerings glow between wintry pillars; centaurs with torches cantering beside a frozen sea – scattered, unco-ordinated shapes from a fabulous past, infinitely removed from life; and yet bringing with them memories of things real and imagined….
