Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-03-06
transformed .suA became yeang:>ago1d

transformed =and became young; gold,
en- helmet glittered on his head; his
bresst>plate glowed like flame; he mount
ed white horse that an angel, clad in
white, held at the door; on hisshoulders
? he wore the same fragment of q cloak
the needy wayfsrer had wrapped kim
self in. -
Clotilda, pressing her two children to
her breast, fell upon her knees, for she
recognized the great Saint Martini who
often appeared in Normandy, where
still dwelt descendants Of his family.
Saint Martin stretched his hand to.
wards the stream-sowards the hut; his
horse sprang forward, and the vision
vanished in luminous ray.
w.
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. A dam stretched across
the stream, whose pent-up waters drove
4 huge wheel that filled the air with its
harmonious tic-tac and turned six beau.
tiful sets of millstones-stones that gave
a flour so fine and white that never had
there been seen its like in all n normandy.
Besides this, the stream watered and
fattened the land through which it flow
ed, the fields it watered yielded triple
crops, and the cattle that psstured there
throve as none others did.
The mill of Etretat became famous
throughout the country. There was nc
70 nf4 D1yr ho III ar tS
it, and soon Clotilda's poverty gave place
to wealth, and she and her children died
rich, happy and full of days, alter hav.
ing done great good upon the earth and
never having closed their doors to the
poor.
V.
Long, long afterwards the possessor of
the famous mill, naturally descendant
Of Clotilda, was one William Coquin.
He was rich, as none of his forefathers
had been, but he had inherited none of
their good qualities, being hard to his
servants, greedy of gain, naughty TO-
wards his interiors and pitiless for the
poor and unfortunate. eff they suffer"
he would cry, cit is because they de-
serve to suffer-" Unhappily, all the
countryside followed his sad 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 mill
stream and the joyous whirr of the
wheel that never rested night nor day ;
on the table we're fine mug of cider, a
fair, white wheaton loaf and delicious
little cream-cheese. Looking up, the
miller beheld approach timidly an old
fisherman, old end bent-so old and bent
that he seem . we'll nigh broken in
twain. He was tanned as brown as
leather and ragged fragment of a
cloak was wrapped around his shoulders.
Master" he said, humbly, ga NOR
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 I have lost all but these
rags. Have mercy on me, and I will
pray for YOU"
"Out of here! Get out!" screamed
the angry miller, falling into frightful
passion; "away, you dog, How dared
you, miserable vagabond! enter my
grounds without permission? Go! Had
you behaved yourself you would not
have had to beg and sponge on others
Otto the devil with you'll"
And as the old man still begged bit
of bread the miller called his men to
drive him out.