ing the whole morning, while saying comfortable words to old
women, and gently rebuking young maidens, he had been thinking of Sam
Brattle and his offences. He had not been in the parish very long,
not over five or six years, but he had been there long enough to see
Sam grow out of boyhood into manhood; and at his first coming to
the parish, for the first two or three years, the lad had been a
favourite with him. Young Brattle could run well, leap well, fish
well, and do a good turn of work about his father's mill. And he
could also read and write, and cast accounts, and was a clever
fellow. The parson, though he had tried his hand with energy at
making the man, had, perhaps, done something towards marring him; and
it may be that some feeling of this was on Mr. Fenwick's conscience.
A gentleman's favourite in a country village, when of Sam Brattle's
age, is very apt to be spoiled by the kindness that is shown to him.
Sam had spent many a long afternoon fishing with the parson, but
those fishing days were now more than two years gone by. It had been
understood that Sam was to assist his father at the mill; and much
good advice as to his trade the lad had received from Mr. Fenwick.
There ought to be no more fishing for the young miller, except
on special holiday occasions,--no more fishing, at least, during
the hours required for milling purposes. So Mr. Fenwick had said
frequently. Nevertheless the old miller attributed his son's idleness
in great part to the parson's conduct, and he had so told the
parson more than once. Of late Sam Brattle had certainly not been
a good son, had neglected his work, disobeyed his father, and
brought trouble on a household which had much suffering to endure
independently of that which he might bring upon it.

Jacob Brattle was a man at this time over sixty-five years of age,
and every year of the time had been spent in that mill. He had never
known another occupation or another home, and had very rarely slept
under another roof. He had married the daughter of a neighbouring
farmer, and had had some twelve or fourteen children. There were at
this time six still living. He himself had ever been a hardworking,
sober, honest man. But he was cross-grained, litigious, moody, and
tyrannical. He held his mill and about a hundred acres of adjoining
meadow land at a rent in which no account was taken either of the
building or of the mill privileges attached to it. He paid simply for
the land at a