ng. Should He wish you to act the part of a
beggar, ('or of a pirate,' I interpolated, aloud to myself, and
smiling) take care to act it naturally and nobly; and the same if it
be the part of a lame man, or a ruler, or a private man. For this is
in your power--to act well the part assigned to you; but to choose
that part is the function of another."

I lay thoughtful, querying. Was I a rich man, or a poor man? Was I a
ruler, or a private man, or a lame man?... I asked myself many
questions, concluding that all my life I had, like most of us all,
been more or less a lame man and a private man after all, and much
like my fellow.... It was a great day for me; since each day I seek to
learn something. And here now was I, blessed by the printed wisdom of
age and philosophy, and yet more blessed by the spoken philosophy of
unthinking Youth.... I lay flat, my arms out on the grass, and looked
up at the leaves. I felt myself a part of the eternal changeless
scheme, and was well content. It has always been impossible for me to
care for the little things of life--such as the amassing of
money--when I am alone in the woods. I pondered now on the wisdom of
my teachers, Epictetus, Jimmy, John and the author of the Book of
Genesis.

I arose at last with less of melancholy and more of resolve than I had
known for years. The world swam true on its axis all around me; and I,
who all my life had been in some way out of balance in the world, now
walked with a strange feeling of poise and certainty.... No, I said to
myself, I would argue no more with Helena. And meantime since the Poet
of the play had assigned me the double role of pirate and boy, I was
resolved to act both "naturally and nobly."

I could not have called either of my associates less than natural and
noble in his part, viewed as I found them when at length I sought them
to partake of a cold luncheon. They stood apart, gloom and stern
dignity themselves, offering no speech to the laboring clammers, who,
by this time, were but masses of evil odors and ill-temper in equal
parts.

"I think he's holdin' out on us!" hissed Jean Lafitte, as I
approached. "Time and again I seen the varlet make false moves. Let
him have a care! The eye of Jean Lafitte is upon him!"

For my own part, I cared little for anything beyond the sport in my
pearl venture, but no man likes to be "done," so I joined the guard
over the pearl fishing. I could see little indication of success on
the part