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