'
ihaveetobelievethatagreatteacherisagreatartistandthatthereareasfewasthereareanyothergreatartists.itmightevenbethegreatestoftheartsincethemediumisthehumanmindandspirit.
ishallspeakonlyofmyfirstteacherbecauseinadditiontotheotherthings,shebroughtdiscovery.shearousedustoshouting,bookwavingdiscussions.shehadthenoisiestclassinschoolandshedidn’tevenseemtoknowit.wecouldneversticktothesubject.shebreathedcuriosityintoussothatwebroughtinfactsortruthsshieldedinourhandslikecapturedfireflies.
shewasfiredandperhapsrightlyso,forfailingtoteachfundamentals.suchthingsmustbelearned.butsheleftapassioninusforthepureknowableworldandsheinflamedmewithacuriositywhichhasneverleft.icouldnotdosimplearithmeticbutthroughherisensedthatabstractmathematicswasverymuchlikemusic.whenshewasrelieved,asadnesscameoverusbutthelightdidnotgoout.shelefthersignatureonus,theliteratureoftheteacherwhowritesonminds.isupposethattoalagerextentiamtheunsignedmanuscriptofthehighschoolteacher.whatdeathlesspowerliesinthehandsofsuchaperson.
icantellmysonwholooksforwardwithhorrortofifteenyearsofdrudgerythatsomewhereinthedustydarkamagicmayhappenthatwilllightuptheyears…ifheisverylucky.