Transcriber's Note:
1. Page scan source:http://www.archive.org/details/silentmill01sudegoog
No one can tell how many years ago it is was since the"Silent Mill"first received its name. As long as I can remember it has been an old,tumble-down structure, an ancient relic of long-forgotten times.
Old, and weather-beaten, and roofless, its crumbling walls stretchupwards toward the sky, giving free access to every gust of wind. Twolarge, round stones that once, maybe, bravely fulfilled their task,have broken through the rotten wood-work and, obeying the natural lawof gravitation, have wedged themselves deep into the ground.
The large mill-wheel hangs awry between its moulding supports. Thepaddles are broken off, and only the spokes stick up into the air, likearms stretched forth to implore the "coup de grâce."
Moss and lichen have clothed all in green, and here and there somewater-cress puts forth its sickly green, sodden growth. From ahalf-broken pipe the water runs slowly down, trickles in sleepymonotony onto the spokes and breaks there, filling the surrounding airwith fine, drizzling spray. Under a gray thicket of alders thelittle rivulet lies hidden in malodorous slothfulness, washed full ofwater-weeds and frog-spawn, choked up with mare's tail and floweringrushes. Only in the middle there trickles still a tiny stream of thick,black water, in which the little palegreen leaves of the duck-weedlazily drift along.
But those long years ago the mill-stream flowed right gayly andjauntily; snow-white foam gleamed at the weir; the merry chatter of thewheels resounded as far as the village; in long rows the carts drove inand out of the mill-yard; and far into the distance there echoed themighty voice of the old miller.
Rockhammer was his name, and all who saw him felt that he did honor toit, too. What a man he was! He had it in him to blast rocks. Of coursethere was no such thing as trying to bully or contradict him, for itonly served to make him perfectly wild with rage: he would clench hisfists; the veins on his temples would swell up like thick thongs; andwhen he started swearing into the bargain, every being trembled beforehim, and the very dogs fled in terror to their kennels. His wife was ameek, gentle, yielding creature. How could it be otherwise? Notfor twenty-four hours would he have endured at his side a moresturdy-natured being, who might have attempted to preserve even theshadow of an independent will. As it was, the two lived together fairlywell, happily one might almost have said, had it not been for his fataltemper, which broke forth wildly at the slightest provocation andcaused the quiet woman many a tearful hour.
But she shed most tears when misfortune's hand fell heavily upon herchildren. Three had been born to them--bonny