Lumen 2018

would have been able to continue their studies in Jaroslaw after the summer break, but they preferred to move to Lvov. They were moved by the desire to see the famous city. They heard about its wonders from a member of the royal court who was staying in Jaroslaw. They were also attracted by the fame of the Jesuit College in Lvov. 119 A DOLESCENCE The young men reached Lvov in pouring rain. But they were not accepted at the college due to insufficient academic preparation and the lack of (the letters of recommendation). Johnny’s cousin went to a village located near the city, where the headmaster of the local school employed him as an assistant and tutor to the children in the begin- ning grades. Johnny remained in Lvov. When the modest supply of money ran out, he began to support himself by tutoring two sons of the local townsfolk. In return, the parents of one of the boys provided his meals, the parents of the other boy — a guest room “with a com- fortable bed.” 120 Thus, by God’s mysterious decree, this student, who was rejected by a college due to insufficient preparation, became a teacher himself. The Lvov Drama The young teacher fulfilled his duties very well and was very thor- ough at imparting elementary knowledge to the two boys. Since he was also very humble and possessed other virtues, he was recognized and respected by his landlords and their neighbors. It is also possible that during that time he tried to make up for his own deficiencies in learning. This peaceful period of preparation for further studies, which lasted about a year and a half, was interrupted in the summer of 1648 by Johnny’s serious illness. In those times, it was easy to fall victim to the epidemic of pestilence which ravaged Lvov and the area during the Cossack uprisings. At first, Johnny fell ill with high fever from 67 Stanislaus Papczynski’s Childhood and Youth