Jan of the Windmill: A Story of the Plains

by Juliana Horatia Ewing

LONDON:
GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK STREET,
COVENT GARDEN.
1890.

Dedicated
TO MY DEAR SISTER
MARGARET.

J. H. E.

CONTENTS.

	PAGE
CHAPTER I.
THE WINDMILLER’SWIFE.—STRANGERS.—TEN SHILLINGS A WEEK.—THELITTLE JAN.	[1]
CHAPTER II.
THE MILLER’SCALCULATIONS.—HIS HOPES AND FEARS.—THENURSE-BOY.—CALM.	[14]
CHAPTER III.
THE WINDMILLER’S WORDS COMETRUE.—THE RED SHAWL.—IN THE CLOUDS.—NURSING V.PIG-MINDING.—THE ROUND-HOUSE.—THE MILLER’STHUMB.	[20]
CHAPTER IV.
BLACK AS SLANS.—VAIR ANDVOOLISH.—THE MILLER AND HIS MAN.	[27]
CHAPTER V.
THE POCKET-BOOK AND THE FAMILYBIBLE.—FIVE POUNDS’ REWARD.	[33]
CHAPTER VI.
GEORGE GOES COURTING.—GEORGEAS AN ENEMY.—GEORGE AS A FRIEND.—ABEL PLAYSSCHOOLMASTER.—THE LOVE-LETTER.—MOERDYK.—THEMILLER-MOTH.—AN ANCIENT DITTY.	[38]
CHAPTER VII.
ABEL GOES TO SCHOOLAGAIN.—DAME DATCHETT.—A COLUMN OFSPELLING.—ABEL PLAYS MOOCHER.—THE MILLER’S MANCANNOT MAKE UP HIS MIND.	[49]
CHAPTER VIII.
VISITORS AT THE MILL.—AWINDMILLER OF THE THIRD GENERATION.—CURE FORWHOOPING-COUGH.—MISS AMABEL ADELINE AMMABY.—DOCTORSDISAGREE.	[54]
CHAPTER IX.
GENTRY BORN.—LEARNINGLOST.—JAN’S BEDFELLOW.—AMABEL.	[63]
CHAPTER X.
ABEL AT HOME.—JAN OBJECTS TOTHE MILLER’S MAN.—THE ALPHABET.—THE CHEAPJACK.—“PITCHERS”.	[66]
CHAPTER XI.
SCARECROWS AND MEN.—JANREFUSES TO “MAKEGEARGE.”—UNCANNY.—“JAN’SOFF.”—THE MOON AND THE CLOUDS.	[77]
CHAPTER XII.
THE WHITEHORSE.—COMROGUES.—MOERDYK.—GEORGE CONFIDES INTHE CHEAP JACK—WITH RESERVATION.	[84]
CHAPTER XIII.
GEORGE AS A MONEYEDMAN.—SAL.—THE “WHITE HORSE.”—THEWEDDING.—THE WINDMILLER’S WIFE FORGETS, AND REMEMBERSTOO LATE.	[91]
CHAPTER XIV.
SUBLUNARY ART.—JAN GOES TOSCHOOL.—DAME DATCHETT AT HOME.—JAN’S FIRSTSCHOOL SCRAPE.—JAN DEFENDS HIMSELF.	[98]
CHAPTER XV.
WILLUM GIVES JAN SOMEADVICE.—THE CLOCK FACE.—THE HORNET AND THEDAME.—JAN DRAWS PIGS.—JAN AND HISPATRONS.—KITTY CHUTER.—THE FIGHT.—MASTERCHUTER’S PREDICTION.	[104]
CHAPTER XVI.
THE MOP.—THE SHOP.—WHATTHE CHEAP JACK’S WIFE HAD TO TELL.—WHAT GEORGEWITHHELD.	[118]
CHAPTER XVII.
THE MILLER’S MAN AT THEMOP.—A LIVELY COMPANION.—SAL LOSES HERPURSE.—THE RECRUITING SERGEANT.—THE POCKET-BOOK TWICESTOLEN.—GEORGE IN THE KING’S ARMS.—GEORGE INTHE KING’S SERVICE.—THE LETTER CHANGES HANDS, BUTKEEPS ITS SECRET.	[127]
CHAPTER XVIII.
MIDSUMMER HOLIDAYS.—CHILDFANCIES.—JAN AND THE PIG-MINDER.—MASTER SALTER ATHOME.—JAN HIRES HIMSELF OUT.	[137]
CHAPTER XIX.
THE BLUE COAT.—PIG-MINDINGAND TREE-STUDYING.—LEAF-PAINTINGS.—ASTRANGER.—MASTER SWIFT IS DISAPPOINTED.	[143]
CHAPTER XX.
SQUIRE AMMABY AND HISDAUGHTER.—THE CHEAP JACK DOES BUSINESS ONCE MORE.—THEWHITE HORSE CHANGES MASTERS.	[154]
CHAPTER XXI.
MASTER SWIFT ATHOME.—RUFUS.—THE EX-PIG-MINDER.—JAN AND THESCHOOLMASTER.	[161]
CHAPTER XXII.
THE PARISHCHURCH.—REMBRANDT.—THE SNOW SCENE.—MASTERSWIFT’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY.	[168]
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE WHITE HORSE INCLOVER.—AMABEL AND HER GUARDIANS.—AMABEL IN THEWOOD.—BOGY.	[179]
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE PAINT-BOX.—MASTERLINSEED’S SHOP.—THE NEW SIGN-BOARD.—MASTERSWIFT AS WILL SCARLET.	[188]
CHAPTER XXV.
SANITARY INSPECTORS.—THEPESTILENCE.—THE PARSON.—THE DOCTOR.—THE SQUIREAND THE SCHOOLMASTER.—DESOLATION AT THE WINDMILL.—THESECOND ADVENT.	[195]
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE BEASTS OF THEVILLAGE.—ABEL SICKENS.—THE GOOD SHEPHERD.—RUFUSPLAYS THE PHILANTHROPIST.—MASTER SWIFT SEES THE SUNRISE.—THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS.	[204]
CHAPTER XXVII.
JAN HAS THEFEVER.—CONVALESCENCE IN MASTER SWIFT’SCOTTAGE.—THE SQUIRE ON DEMORALIZATION.	[211]
CHAPTER XXVIII.
MR. FORD’S CLIENT.—THEHISTORY OF JAN’S FATHER.—AMABEL AND BOGY THESECOND.	[217]
CHAPTER XXIX.
JAN FULFILS ABEL’SCHARGE.—SON OF THE MILL.—THE LARGE-MOUTHEDWOMAN.	[230]
CHAPTER XXX.
JAN’S PROSPECTS, AND MASTERSWIFT’S PLANS.—TEA AND MILTON.—NEWPARENTS.—PARTING WITH RUFUS.—JAN ISKIDNAPPED.	[238]
CHAPTER XXXI.
SCREEVING.—AN OLDSONG.—MR. FORD’S CLIENT.—THE PENNYGAFF.—JAN RUNS AWAY.	[246]
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE BAKER.—ON ANDON.—THE CHURCH BELL.—A DIGRESSION.—A FAMILIARHYMN.—THE BOYS’ HOME.	[253]
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE BUSINESS MAN AND THEPAINTER.—PICTURES AND POT BOILERS.—CIMABUE ANDGIOTTO.—THE SALMON-COLORED OMNIBUS.	[261]
CHAPTER XXXIV.
A CHOICE OFVOCATIONS.—RECREATION HOUR.—THE BOW-LEGGEDBOY.—DRAWING BY HEART.—GIOTTO.	[265]
CHAPTER XXXV.
“WITHOUTCHARACTER?”—THE WIDOW.—THE BOW-LEGGED BOY TAKESSERVICE.—STUDIOS AND PAINTERS.	[270]
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE MILLER’S LETTER.—ANEW POT BOILER SOLD.	[277]
CHAPTER XXXVII.
SUNSHINE AFTER STORM.	[282]
CHAPTERXXXVIII.
A PAINTER’SEDUCATION.—MASTER CHUTER’S PORT.—A FAREWELLFEAST.—THE SLEEP OF THE JUST.	[286]
CHAPTER XXXIX.
GEORGE AGAIN.—THEPAINTER’S ADVICE.—“HOME-BREWED” AT THEHEART OF OAK.—JAN CHANGES THE PAINTER’SMIND.	[294]
CHAPTER XL.
D’ARCY SEES BOGY.—THEACADEMY.—THE PAINTER’S PICTURE.	[300]
CHAPTER XLI.
THE DETECTIVE.—THE“JOOK”.—JAN STANDS BY HIS MOTHER’SGRAVE.—HIS AFTER HISTORY.	[303]
CHAPTER XLII.
CONCLUSION.	[308]

CHAPTER I.

THE WINDMILLER’S WIFE.—STRANGERS.—TEN SHILLINGS A WEEK.—THE LITTLE JAN.

Storm without and within!

So the windmiller might have said, if he had been in the habit of putting his thoughts into an epigrammatic form, as a groan from his wife and a growl of thunder broke simultaneously upon his ear, whilst the rain fell scarcely faster than her tears.

It was far from mending matters that both storms were equally unexpected. For eight full years the miller’s wife had been the meekest of women. If there was a firm (and yet, as he flattered himself, a just) husband in all the dreary straggling district, the miller was that man. And he always did justice to his wife’s good qualities,—at least to her good quality of submission,—and would, till lately, have upheld her before any one as a model of domestic obedience. From the day when he brought home his bride, tall, pretty, and perpetually smiling, to the tall old mill and the ugly old mother who never smiled at all, there had been but one will in the household. At any rate, after the old woman’s death. For during her life-time her stern son paid her such deference that it was a moot point, perhaps, which of them really ruled. Between them, however, the young wife was moulded to a nicety, and her voice gained no more weight in the counsels of the windmill when the harsh tones of the mother-in-law were silenced for ever.