Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-09-10
MILLER THE MILLER.


Miller the miller was g. handsome,
but silent and odd, "old bachelor"
he looksd-from the crown of his
head to the soles OF his boots-as if he
had just been rolling in the -four he
had ground. His fine old horse, which
was born black, carried so much flour
on his coat that he was called s'Dusty
Miller"
Miller the miller had one marked
popularity. He would hardly speak
to women. He had been left an or
phan, and g. hard hearted woman
had made his boyhood hard. He was
poor in youth, and his early court
ships had not ended as he had hoped.
Thus his heart had been turned away
from womenkind into lonely rut OF
life, and he had fallen under the spell
OF the evil spirit OF a false opinion.
AS We said, Miller the miller had
had bitter and violent step-mother
from babyhood. We might have add
ed that when his father died he had
been passed over to an uncle whose
wife was a perfect shrew, who was
half insane on cleanliness, and chased
her husband and the boy with broom
and mop, warning them about her
white floor! Those were the wolnen
he had first known.
The bad romance OF his youth thut
had ended so disastrously we will not
repeat, save only to say that iii one re.
spect, one only, they made d very
sour man of Miller the miller.
Young Miller went the night after
his uncle's funeral to live with old
Jarvis, the miller, whoscsinple house
keeping was done ny brother, more
noted for his culinary skill than for
his mental power.
Here Miller found I, place OF peace
-"not a. woman within sight," he
said. ut was very restful."
Jarvis died aftera few years, "Billy''
went off to live with sister, and the
house was sold.
Miller took the mill. He partition
cd off q kitchen and bedroom in the
loft, and made parlor of one corner
on the floor with the chopper, put
into it q red table and for yellow chairs
and hung up some Of those chromos
with which people are punished fol
taking papers they do not want, anc
never read.
So he lived here like an ancherite
his only vexation being the little girls
who came in on their way from schoo
to stare down into the hopper, or who
leaned over his rickety fence to see the
great, black wheel churning the silver
foam. He would sometimes mutter
'"They'll get drowned Or ground W
some day, and then it'll be laid on tt
my mill or me-"
When Miller the miller was about
thirty-live years old, his brother died
leaving IN orphan boy OF ten year
Miller brushed the flour off his bes
clothes, off his horse, and rode twenty
miles 20 the funeral. Now Miller tn
miller had a sympathetic heart, afte
all, and when he returned, he brough
little Ike, his brothers son, and hi
small bundle to the old mill with him
Ike was born and had always ive(
in "the hired mans house on farm
in full view Of the barnyard, and {
level sweep OF hard worked fields. w
can imagi inc his delight vt the wonder
OF his new home, with mountain be
hind, stream below, a valley, ant
fields and forests Oh every hand! Blu
the mill, with it's great wheel dashin
and splashine among the waters
sending crystal arrows and rainbow
wreaths in every direction-t that wa
to him the glory OF al this PICTURESQUE
region.
1t was like dream OF fairyland
And this was his home, and he coul<
see and hear the mlll-noises always
and climb the high banks OF the stream
anl catch squirrels, and skip stone
---and-and--everyth thing!
But Miller the miller was not as vel
pleased with his nephew as his nephew
with him. The boy made new con
dition Of affairs necessary. The mil
Ter now thought the place too rougl
and mean, and set out to finish Oft hi
rooms with lathe and plaster an,
paint. He put up white curtains il
place OF the green paper ones, and act
unlly bought carpet for the pa 10
corner. which was now q real room
partitioned Oft from the main mill
As his house improved, he began t,
like the boy better, and to becom
very indulgent to him.
There. in this elegant home tn
hoy had his scho ol-iriends as often u
IN chose to ask them. Together the,
popped corn and made molasse
candy, and whitfield out boats in win
ter, and they stuffed birds and presse,
wild flowers in summer.
So the years went on, the mile
growing less odd in their flight Blu
he still kept up his old antipathy 70
women-an antipathy that he coul'
not have cherished had he ever known
q mother and q mothers love.
Ike was a happy boy, and became
great iavorite with his neighbours. \
eighteen years old he could do q man
work i'll the mill, beside going to schoc
in winter 4 shadow fell across tn
miller's spirit; Ike began to look at tn
girls. He carried their skates an
their books, he risked his life ON tn
precipice over the stream to gathe
the ''lady's ear-drop" and the purpl
might shade' for them.
He Went on sleigh.rides and to pal
ties-and--and-well, Miller the mile
had heard Of his walking home on
moonlight evening with little RUTH
BOVINE, whom he had sent out OF tn
mill g. dozen times in as many year