Maritcha Lyons Memoir

Professor Reason, cultured, refined, inclined to be a little supercilious was quite intolerant of mediocrity; he instinctively shunned the ordinary and the common place, and kept himself aloof from all that was awkward and unseemly. He could and would teach, but only if allowed his right of choice in the selection of his pupils. Those willing and able to submit to his processes, found compensation far in excess of exaction. He taught how to study, developed a love of study for study’s sake; to those mentally alert, aspiring, and diligent he disclosed vistas of interest. Satisfaction and wonder, whoever could be trained to enjoy what he enjoyed in the way it please him had measureless content as complete as exceptional. His pupils regarded him with mingled admiration and awe. In after life his approval of them was deemed to highest guerdon. Mr. Peterson’s scholars fraternized with him, but any informality of approach was offset by and unblemished loyalty; Mr. Reason’s were always made buoyant by his condemnation. To both, a mood of gratitude is due from our men and women of the past generation who were fortunate enough to have been moulded by such capable hands

From: Maritcha Lyons, “Memories of Yesterdays, All of Which I Saw and Part of Which I Was—An Autobiography”