gone off and lef' me in de swamp?"

"Ah, sir!" replied Bonaventure, "what do I unceasingly tell those dear
school-chil'run? 'May we not make the most of self, yet not for
self?'" He laid his hand upon St. Pierre's shoulder. "And who sent
Claude hence if not his unselfish father?"

"I was big fool," said St. Pierre, whittling on.

"Nay, wise! Discovering the great rule of civilize-ation. Every man
not for self, but for every other!"

The swamper disclaimed the generous imputation with a shake of the
head.

"Naw, I dunno nut'n' 'bout dat. I look out for me and my boy, me.--And
beside,"--he abruptly threw away the staff he had trimmed, shut his
knife with a snap, and thrust it into his pocket,--"I dawn't see
ed'cation make no diff'ence. You say ed'cation--priest say
religion--me, I dawn't see neider one make no diff'ence. I see every
man look out for hisself and his li'l' crowd. Not you, but"--He waved
his hand bitterly toward the world at large.

"Ah, sir!" cried Bonaventure, "'tis not something what you can see all
the time, like the horns on a cow! And yet, sir,--and yet!"--he lifted
himself upon tiptoe and ran his fingers through his thin hair--"the
education that make' no difference is but a dead body! and the
religion that make' no difference is a ghost! Behole! behole two
thing' in the worl', where all is giving and getting, two thing',
con_tra_ry, yet resem'ling! 'Tis the left han'--alas, alas!--giving
only to get; and the right, blessed of God, getting only to give! How
much resem'ling, yet how con_tra_ry! The one--han' of all strife; the
other--of all peace. And oh! dear friend, there are those who call the
one civilize-ation, and the other religion. Civilize-ation? Religion?
They are one! They are body and soul! I care not what religion the
priest teach you; in God's religion is comprise' the total _mecanique_
of civilize-ation. We are all in it; you, me, Claude, Sidonie; all in
it! Each and every at his task, however high, however low, working not
to get, but to give, and not to give only to his own li'l' crowd, but
to all, to all!" The speaker ceased, for his hearer was nodding his
head with sceptical impatience.

"Yass," said the woodman, "yass; but look, Bonaventure. Di'n' you said
one time, 'Knowledge is power'?"

"Yes, truly; and it is."

"But what use knowledge be power if goin' give ev't'in' away?"

Bonaventure drew back a step or two, suddenly jerked his hat from his
head, and came forward