Page 336 - The Story of My Lif

It must have been evident to those who watched the rapid unfolding of Helen’s

faculties that it would not be possible to keep her inquisitive spirit for any length
of time from reaching out toward the unfathomable mysteries of life. But great
care has been taken not to lead her thoughts prematurely to the consideration of
subjects which perplex and confuse all minds.

Children ask profound questions, but they often receive shallow answers, or, to
speak more correctly, they are quieted by such answers.

“Were did I come from?” and “Where shall I go when I die?” were questions
Helen asked when she was eight years old. But the explanations which she was

able to understand at that time did not satisfy, although they forced her to remain
silent, until her mind should begin to put forth its higher powers, and generalize
from innumerable impressions and ideas which streamed in upon it from books
and from her daily experiences. Her mind sought for the cause of things.

As her observation of phenomena became more extensive and her vocabulary

richer and more subtle, enabling her to express her own conceptions and ideas
clearly, and also to comprehend the thoughts and experiences of others, she
became acquainted with the limit of human creative power, and perceived that
some power, not human, must have created the earth, the sun, and the thousand
natural objects with which she was perfectly familiar.

Finally she one day demanded a name for the power, the existence of which she
had already conceived in her own mind.

Through Charles Kingsley’s “Greek Heroes” she had become familiar with the
beautiful stories of the Greek gods and goddesses, and she must have met with

the words GOD, HEAVEN, SOUL, and a great many similar expressions in
books.