mania, he would have to renounce all the high hopes he had
formed for him. However, he resolved to make a determined effort to
recover him, and set out with a large party of friends to storm St.
Damian's. They hoped that Francis would listen to reason, and consent
to follow them back quietly to Assisi.

[Sidenote: _A Lonely Struggle._]

But Francis never waited to receive them. An uncontrollable fear took
possession of him, and he fled and hid himself in a cavern he alone
knew of. His father's party ransacked the priest's abode, and all the
country round, but they had to return home baffled.

For a month, Francis remained shut up in the cavern. An old servant
who loved him dearly, was let into the secret, and used to bring him
food. During this month he suffered intensely. It was the first time
in his life he had ever suffered contradiction--the first time in his
life he had ever had anyone really, openly opposed to him. To be sure,
people did not understand him, but they had never shown him any
animosity. A sense of utter failure oppressed him. It was a hard trial
to one of his temperament, and if his consecration had not been very
real, he would never have stood the test.

He wept and prayed, and confessed his utter nothingness, his weakness,
his inability to accomplish anything of himself. Never in his life had
he felt weak and incapable before. Then humbly he entreated that God
would enable him to accomplish His will, and not permit his incapacity
to frustrate God's designs for him. A consciousness of Divine strength
was manifested to him as never before. It was as if a voice said, "I
will be with thee, fear not." Strengthened with a strength he never
knew heretofore, he came out of the cavern and made straight for his
father's house.

That day as Pietro Bernardone sat at work indoors, the voice of a
mighty tumult was borne in to him. Such a clamour, and yelling, and
shouting he never had heard in Assisi in all his time! Rushing
upstairs he looked out of the window. It seemed as though the entire
populace had turned loose, and were buffeting someone in their midst.

"A madman, a madman," yelled the crowd, and sticks and stones and mud
flew from all sides.

"A madman, a madman," echoed the children.

Determined not to lose the fun, Pietro hastened out into the street,
joined the crowd, and discovered that his son Francis was the madman
in question! With a howl of rage, he rushed upon him, dragged him into
t