THE MILLER’S DAUGHTER
1.TOWARD the close of a previous century，there occurred in France one of the most singular political convulsions of which history has any record.The lower orders of the nation，headed by some individuals of influence，rose in arms against their sovereign，and，after a long series of atrocities，succeeded in dethroning and beheading king Louis the Sixteenth，and in completely overturning the power of the nobles and destroying the institutions of the state.
2.Of these scenes of horror，one of the most active agents was Robespierre，who，having raised himself to a situation of power among the disaffected，ruled his country with despotic tyranny.During his temporary elevation，either the secret denunciations of an envious rival，or the false charges preferred by an open enemy，were sufficient to condemn innocence and virtue to a violent death.Any individual who was known，during the reign of terror，（as that period of the French revolution has been termed，）to afford the slightest commiseration or assistance to the proscribed victims of tyranny，was almost certain to lose his life as the penalty of his injudicious compassion；and owing to this circumstance，fear seemed to suppress every generous feeling of the heart，and to stifle every sentiment of humanity in the bosoms of the greater part of the unhappy inhabitants of France.
3.There lived，about this time，in one of the northern counties of the kingdom，a miller，in easy circumstances，whose name was Maturin，and who，so far from participating in the alarm and dreadwhich seemed to freeze the charity of his countrymen，sought every opportunity of conferring acts of kindness on the unfortunate people，who were flying from their homes，to avoid the horrors of prison or of death.
4.During this period，no suspicion had ever attached to him，and，in the opinion of his neighbors，he passed for an excellent patriot，as the term was then understood.He contrived however，to conceal his real feelings under an air of gayety；and on many occasions，in order to avoid suspicion，he had even received into his mill the officers of the tyrant，and entertained them hospitably.Toinette，his daughter，a little girl only ten years of age，was his only confidant and companion.She was the depository of his secrets；and，possessing a great deal of prudence，together with an appearance of childish innocence，she was particularly useful to her father in aiding his efforts to deceive the cruel agents of Robespierre；and she shared in all his rejoicings when they had the good fortune to rescue any innocent sufferer from their snares.
5.One evening，Toinette had gone down to a fountain at some distance from the mill，in order to bring home fresh water for supper，when her father should return from labor.She filled her pitcher，and placing it on the ground，by the side of the well，she seated herself on a mossy bank，under the shade of a beech-tree which grew above it.The sun was just setting；there was not the slightest noise to disturb the calm silence which reigned around her；and leaning her head on her arm，she began to reflect on some melancholy tales of recent suffering which her father had been relating to her that morning.She had not remained in this position more than a few moments，when she fancied that she heard the voice of some one in distress apparently very near her.She started at an incident so unusual；and listening for a moment，heard distinctly a low，faint moan，which seemed to issue from a hovel not far from the well.It had formerly been a comfortable cottage；buthaving been destroyed by fire about a year before，little more than the four walls and a part of the roof were now remaining.
6.She arose instantly，and proceeding toward the ruined hut，was about to enter the door，when she perceived the figure of a man stretched on the ground，wasted and pale，and apparently in the last struggle of death.She drew near to him without hesitation，attempted to raise his head，and asked him some questions in a voice of pity.The unfortunate man fixed his eyes intently on the little girl，and said，in a low voice，“Give me some bread；I am perishing from hunger.”
7.At these words，the tears came into the eyes of Toinette；she knew not what to do；she had no bread with her，and from the exhausted state of the poor sufferer，she feared to leave him to procure any，lest，on her return，she should find that he had breathed his last.For a few moments she hesitated what to do，whether to go，or remain where she was；at length，thinking she had better leave him，and bring some food，than stay with him，and perhaps see him expire before her eyes，she gently laid his head on the floor，and had proceeded a few steps from the door of the hut on her way home，when she remembered that she had a pear and some chestnuts in her pocket.The recollection of these treasures no sooner flashed on her mind than she ran back，and placing the head of the poor man upon her knee，she put a small piece of the pear in his mouth.He had been so long without food，that it was with some difficulty he swallowed the first morsel；but by degrees he seemed to revive，and by the time he had finished the fruit，he was so far recovered as to be able to answer the questions of the little girl.
8.“Tell me，”said Toinette，“how long you have been in this horrible place？for your clothes are all ragged，and you can not have been shaved for many weeks.But you shall come with me to my home；it is not far distant，and my father is kind to all who are in distress；and when you are well，he will give you employment in our mill，and every day you shall have abundance to eat，and a comfortable bed to sleep on at night.”
