Story 1—Chapter 8.
The Miller of Hillbrook had a tough spirit and a hard heart, like many other people in the world. It galled him to think that his son was a felon, and that people could point at him as the felon’s father. His business went on as usual, or rather better than usual, as he was always at home to attend to it. People knew that if they brought grist to his mill, they would be sure to have it ready ground at the day and hour they had named, if the wind blew to turn the sails. They found also that old Sam Green was always ready to oblige them if he could. “Great change has come over Sam,—can’t understand it,” said some of those who came to the mill. “Does he think that he is going to die? Can that make him so gentle and willing to oblige?”
The miller seemed to be much as he was before. He was even rude to Farmer Grey, when once or twice he came to his house. At last, one day, when the farmer was speaking in a serious tone to Mark, the miller told him plainly that he did not want to hear him or see him. The farmer said nothing, and was just as civil and kind to Mark as before. One day, Mark had gone into the neighbouring town on business; Mary had walked up to see Mrs Dobbs, Farmer Grey’s housekeeper; and Mrs Page was the only person in the house. Sam was at the mill, but all the other men were away with the carts. Mrs Page had left a pile of wood to dry near the fire, before which some clothes were hung up to air; some fagots, besides, were placed against the wall, and some wood with which Mark was going to repair some work in the mill. Mistress Page was sitting in her room sewing, when she smelt a smell of fire, and then smoke made its way into the room, for the door was ajar. She began to fear that the house was on fire; and soon she was certain of it, for thick curls of smoke came out from the kitchen. Instead of shutting the door, and going up to the mill to call Sam, she threw open all the windows and doors she could reach, and ran out of the house, screaming “Fire! fire! fire!”
After some time Sam heard the poor woman’s cries, and looking out of a window in the mill, saw the flames bursting forth from every part of the house. He hurried out of the mill as fast as his lameness would allow; but he soon saw that alone he could do nothing in putting out the fire.
In a few minutes, however, several men were seen coming from Farmer Grey’s, with buckets in their hands, followed by the farmer on horseback. By the time, however, they reached the spot, the house was in flames, from one end to the other. Still there was work for them to do, to try and save the out-buildings. Even the mill itself was threatened, as the wind blew towards it. The men pulled down the sheds nearest the house, and damped the straw thatch of two or three outhouses, the farmer not only showing them what to do, but working away with his own hands as hard as any one. At last the fire was got under, and the mill was saved; but the house was burnt to the ground.
Just then the miller came back. He began to storm and rage, and asked who had burned down his house. “That we have to learn, neighbour,” answered Farmer Grey. “It may be found that no one burned it down, and let us be thankful that things are not worse. However, come up to my house; there are rooms and a sup for you till your own house is rebuilt; your wife and daughter are already there.”
“I wonder you can think of asking me, Farmer Grey,” said Mark. “I have not given you much thanks for the good deeds you have already done me.”
“Don’t think of that, just now, neighbour,” answered Farmer Grey. “We are bound to do good—or right, call it—and not to think of the return we are to get. If God was only to give His blessings to those who were sure to be grateful for them, He would give us far less than He does. We should get little or nothing, I suspect.”
So the miller went to Farmer Grey’s house with his wife and daughter. It seemed strange to him to find himself there, and stranger still to feel the kind way in which the farmer treated him. Even now he could not understand it.
At last his house was finished, and he and his family went into it.
Mark had spent a good deal of money in rebuilding his house; and though the mill itself wanted repairing, he said that he must put that off till another year; he and Sam Green would patch it up to last till that time. That year passed by, and another came, and had nearly gone, and still nothing was done to the mill. One evening in autumn, the wind was blowing strong, and making even the new house shake, while it whistled and howled through doors and windows. The arms of the mill had been secured, Sam Green had gone home, and the miller himself, thinking that all was right, went to bed. The wind increased, the house shook more and more; there was a fearful gale blowing. On a sudden he woke with a start. There was a crash,—then another,—and at last another, louder than either of the first. The weather, however, was so rough that he could not get up. Again he went to sleep. As soon as it was daylight he looked out. “Where was the mill?” Instead of seeing it, as he expected, against the cold grey sky of the autumn morning, he saw nothing at all. He rubbed his eyes again and again. At last he cast them towards the ground, and there lay scattered about and broken into small pieces, all that remained of his mill. The wheels and grindstone lay near the base; the roof and sides had been carried almost a hundred yards away, and the long arms still farther.
The miller’s spirit was fairly broken when he saw the wreck of his mill.
He was aroused by Sam’s voice. “This is a bad business, master,” said Sam. “When I heard it blow so hard last night, I was afraid of something, though I did not think to find it as bad as this; but I said ‘God’s will be done, whatever happens.’”
“Well, He has done His will with me at all events,” answered the miller sullenly. “I don’t think He could do much worse either.”
“If we got our deserts, He could do very much worse to us,” said Sam firmly. “But, master, He is a God of love, and He sends these sort of misfortunes, not because He hates us, but because He loves us, and wishes us to think of Him, and trust to Him.”
“Such talk as that won’t rebuild the mill,” exclaimed the miller almost savagely.
“May be it won’t, master; but it may help to make you turn to God and trust to His mercy, as I try to do,” said Sam.
“You, Sam! you, a wicked old sinner. How dare you talk of trusting to God?”
“Because, master, He asks me to do so, He promises to forgive me my sins,” said Sam. “I should be declaring that God is a liar if I wouldn’t trust Him.”
“Then you think that I am a sinner, Sam,” said the miller.
“I know that you are one, master,” answered Sam boldly.
The miller made no answer, but walked about the ruins, as if thinking what part would do to go up again. The rotten state of the mill, perhaps, made him think of his own state. Suddenly he stopped and said—
“You are right, Sam; I’ve been a wicked, hardhearted man all my life, all rotten and bad, and it’s a wonder God hasn’t struck me down long ago, as the mill was struck down last night.”
“Master, I say to you what was said a short time ago to me, ‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,’ (Mark chapter 2, verse 17). It’s a great thing to feel that we are sinners.”
“Sam, you speak like a parson, and I’m near sure you speak what is true,” said the miller.
“I speak what is in the Bible, master, and so I am sure that it is what is true,” answered Sam.
Just then the miller saw Farmer Grey riding up the hill.
“I do not come to condole with you, neighbour Page,” he said in his usual kind tone. “What means have you of putting up the mill again, and setting it going?”
“Not a shilling, farmer,” answered Mark. “I’m a ruined man.”
“Don’t be cast down, neighbour,” said Farmer Grey. “People, however, may take their grist to other mills to be ground, if yours is not working; so I want you to send at once for carpenters and mill-wrights, and to let them know that they are to look to me for payment. No words, neighbour, about thanks. Let it be done at once; don’t lose time. You’ll repay me, some day, I am very sure.” Then Mark Page knew the true meaning of having coals of fire heaped on his head.
In a short time the mill, rebuilt with sound timbers and strong machinery, was going round as merrily as ever, and grinding as much if not more grist than it did in former days. People had wondered at the change in Sam Green; they wondered still more at the change in his master,—once so sullen and ill-tempered,—now so gentle and kind and obliging. The change in him was even greater than in the mill itself.
It is easy enough to rebuild a house: no human power can change a man’s heart, as Mark Page’s had been changed.