St. Landry democrat., 1879-04-26
Clotilda ceased her labor at the mill,

God knows there Is little enough ZOE Ine
children and me, but what there is, | be-
seech you, come and share with u.s."
"Be blessed, my daughter, "said the
old man, in gentle voice; "you alone
OF the whole countryside have opened
YOUR door to me-" And entering the
cottage he sat down to meat, not without
having cast searching and plying
glance at the humble surroundings.
Noticing the cradle of little Jehan, the
old man went 10 it. took the child in his
arms, and laying his hand on its hard
and swollen stomach, pronounced briet
prayer. q There woman" he said,
giving her the little one, on whose cheek
the rose of health had suddenly bloomed,
"your child is cured. This work is too
hard for you; hereafter let the water
which runs before your door do the work
for you. 1t will enrich you and they SO
long as you and they remain as have
found you, pious, compassionate, succor-
ing the poor and trusting in Cod
i At that moment the mean howell shone
with celestial light. The old man was
transformed and became young; golden
helmet glittered on his head his breasts
plate glowed like fame; he mounted
white horse that an angel, clad in white,
held at the door; On his shoulders he
wore the same fragment OF cloak the
needy wayfarer had wrapped himself in.
Clotilda, pressing her two children to
her breast, fell upon her knees, for she
recognized the great Saint Martins who
often appeared in Normandy, where still
dwelt descendants of his family.
Saint Martin stretched his hand to-
ward the stream-toward the hut; his
horse sprang forward, and the vision
vanished in luminous ray.
Next morning, when Clotilda and the
children awakened they could not BE-
lieve their eyes. The little rill had be.
come broad creek and the shed a great
stone building. Adam stretched across
the stream, whose pent-up waters drove
huge wheel that filled the air with its
harmonious tic tao and turned six beau.
titul sets of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. that gave
-four SO fine and white that never had
there been seen it's like in sll Normandy.
Besides this, the stream watered and
fattened the land through (which it
fowed, the feldsit watered yielded triple
crops, and The cattle that pastuged there
throve as none others did. =
The mill OF Etretat became famous
throughout the country. There was no
farmer so far off but he sent his grist to
it, and soon Clotilda's poverty gave place
to wealth, and she and her children died
rich, happy and lull of days, after having
done great good upon the earth and
never having closed their doors to the
poor.
Long, long afterwards the possessor OF
the famous mill, naturally descendant
of Cjotilda, was one William Coquin
He was rich, as none of his foretathers
had been, but he had inherited none OF
their good qualities, being hard to his
servants, greedy of gain, naughty
wards his interiors and pitiless for the
poor and unfortunate. aft they suffer"
he would cry, it is because they de-
serve to suffer-" Unhappily, all the
countryside followed his SD and cruel
example, so prosperous and independent
had Etretat become.
One evening William Coquin was en-.
joying the cool OF the day in his arbor,
listening TO the murmur of the mil.
stream and the joyous whirr Of the whee
that never rested night nor day on the
table were fine mug of cider, a fair,
white wheaton loaf and delicious little
cream cheese. Looking up, the miller
beheld approach timidly an old fisher
man, old and bent-so old and bent that
he seemed well nigh broken in twain.
he was tanned as brown al leather and
a ragged fragmentofa cloak was wrapped
around his shoulders.
Master" he said, humbly, " a mor>
sci of bread and draught of cider--I
have walked a long distance to-day and
am worn out my boat has been ship.
wrecked and ] have lost all but these
rags Have mercy on zne, and I will
pray for you"
I "Out of here! Get outl'' screamed
the angry miller, falling into a frigatful
passion; "away, you dogl How dared
you, miserable vagabond! enter my
grounds without permission Col Had
you behaved yourself you would not
have had to beg and sponge on others.
Otto the devil with YOUR
And as the old man still begged a bit
of bread the miller called bis men to
drive him out.
But they had not laid hands on him,
when a tremendous gust of wind smote the
country and laid everything level with
the ground-mill, trees, dwellings, barns
The earth trembled,sthe skies were black
as ink; the roaring waves ran up ana
swallowed the ruins.
Theold fisherman was none other than |
the great Saint Martin. The white horse
on which be now appeared cast a lurid
light, and the riders cuirass glowed like
fs,1,4 o.;