d and died for love of him and of
all men;--that love was to rule his own life! He had found his
Captain--the Master of his life, the Lord of his service,--Christ.

Yet even now he hardly knew what to do. He went home and told his
friends as well as he could of the change in his heart.

Some smiled rather pityingly and went away saying to one another:
"Poor fellow; a little mad, you can see; very sad for his parents!"

Others simply laughed and mocked.

One day, very lonely and sad at heart, he clambered up the mountain
side to an old church just falling into ruin near which, in a cavern,
lived a priest. He went into the ruin and fell on his knees.

"Francis," a voice in his soul seemed to say, "dost thou see my house
going to ruin. Buckle to and repair it."

He dashed home, saddled his horse, loaded it with rich garments and
rode off to another town to sell the goods. He sold the horse too;
trudged back up the hill and gave the fat purse to the priest.

"No," said the priest, "I dare not take it unless your father says I
may."

But his father, who had got rumour of what was going on, came with a
band of friends to drag Francis home. Francis fled through the woods
to a secret cave, where he lay hidden till at last he made up his mind
to face all. He came out and walked straight towards home. Soon the
townsmen of Assisi caught sight of him.

"A madman," they yelled, throwing stones and sticks at him. All the
boys of Assisi came out and hooted and threw pebbles.

His father heard the riot and rushed out to join in the fun. Imagine
his horror when he found that it was his own son. He yelled with
rage, dashed at him and, clutching him by the robe, dragged him along,
beating and cursing him. When he got him home he locked him up. But
some days later Francis' mother let him out, when his father was
absent; and Francis climbed the hill to the Church.

The bishop called in Francis and his father to his court to settle the
quarrel.

"You must give back to your father all that you have," said he.

"I will," replied Francis.

He took off all his rich garments; and, clad only in a hair-vest, he
put the clothes and the purse of money at his father's feet.

"Now," he cried, "I have but one father. Henceforth I can say in all
truth 'Our Father Who art in heaven.'"

A peasant's cloak was given to Francis. He went thus, without home
or any money, a wanderer. He went to a monastery and slaved in the
kitchen. A friend