ysician of his mind. Thus the
struggle brought him light. To the boy's own eyes it seemed to be
bringing him only darkness, but the priest saw better.

"That is but his shadow; he is standing in it; it is deepening; that
shows the light is increasing." Thus spake the cure to himself as he
sat at solitaire under his orange-tree one afternoon.

The boy passed out of sight, and the cure's eyes returned to his game
of solitaire; but as he slowly laid one card upon another, now here,
now there, he still thought of Bonaventure.

"There will be no peace for him, no sweetness of nature, no green
pastures and still waters, within or without, while he seeks life's
adjustments through definitions of mere right and rights. No, boy; you
will ever be a restless captive, pacing round and round those limits
of your enclosure. Worse still if you seek those definitions only to
justify your overriding another's happiness in pursuit of your own."
The boy was not in hearing; this was apostrophe.

"Bonaventure," he said, as the lad came by again; and Bonaventure
stopped. The player pushed the cards from him, pile by pile, leaned
back, ran his fingers slowly through his thin gray hair, and smiled.

"Bonaventure, I have a riddle for you. It came to me as I was playing
here just now. If everybody could do just as he pleased; if he had, as
the governor would say, all his rights,--life, liberty, pursuit of
happiness,--if everybody had this, I say, why should we still be
unhappy?"

The boy was silent.

"Well, I did not suppose you would know. Would you like me to tell
you? It is because happiness pursued is never overtaken. And can you
guess why that is? Well, never mind, my son. But--would you like to do
something for me?"

Bonaventure nodded. The cure rose, taking from his bosom as he left
his chair a red silk handkerchief and a pocket-worn note-book. He laid
the note-book on the table, and drawing back with a smile said:

"Here, sit down in my place, and write what I tell you, while I
stretch my legs. So; never mind whether you understand or not. I am
saying it for myself: it helps _me_ to understand it better. Now, as I
walk, you write. 'Happiness pursued is never overtaken, because'--have
you written that?--'because, little as we are, God's image makes us so
large that we cannot live within ourselves, nor even for ourselves,
and be satisfied.' Have you got that down? Very well--yes--the
spelling could be improved, but that is no ma