222 HUNGARIAN LITERATURE His father, a simple old peasant, had became blind white his son was roaming about the world. His mother, who received_ bim with joy, died a few weeks after his arrivaL Arany suffered the pangs of remorse. What was he to do ? What would became of bim ? His whole life seemed destined to be a failure. ln addition to the mental trouble, he had taken a chill during his ramblings, and the pains in his chest were so severe that he felt sure that he was about to die. This perlod was the first great crisis in his life. He sat opposite his poor blind father, in the ebeertess house, with a crushed and hopeless heart. And yet he lived down his troubles and overcame his difficulties. The people about bim were mistaken in th inking him a degraded man. His gentie and beautifui nature, and his sincer ity won the hearts of ali wh o learot to know bim, while his sound knowledge and his industry gained bim their esteem. The clergyman of the town had often said : " N o strolling comedian shall be a teaeber here," yet young Ar any was soon elected teaeber at the grammar school. Although he felt their reproaches to be unjust, he made strenuous effarts to amend the fauls for wh ich people censured hím. He threw his p o ems into the fire, bade adieu to the Muses who had led bim astray, and resolved to be an indus trious ordinary man. Fou r years afte r his adventures as an actor, he was elected n o tary to the town . He was then twenty-three years of ag e. lu the same year, follawing the leading of his heart as weil as of common sense, he married, and his married life proved a very happy one. But he was not able to keep his resolve of becoming o rdi n ary. For some time he suppressed his poetic
