THE MILLER'S MAID.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 3, Issue 56, 15 February 1851, Page 3

THE MILLER'S MAID.

Near the hamlet of Udorf, on the banks of the river Rhine, not far from the town of Bonu, there yet stands the mill which was the scene of the following adventure. One Sunday morning, the miller and his family set out, as usual, to attend service at the nearest church in the village of Haesel, leaving the mill, to which the dwelling-house' whs attached, in charge of his servant-maid, Hrinchen, a bold-hear led girl, who had been some time in his service. The youngest child, who wns still too little to go to church, remained also under her care. As HSnellen was busily engaged in preparing dinner for the family, she was interrupted by a visit from her admirer, Heinrich Motteler. lie was an idle, gra<e!eß», fellow, and her mtuttr, who knew his character well, hud forbidden him the house ; but lliiuclieii could not believe all the stories she heard against her lover, and was sincerely attached to him. On this octagon she greeted him kiixily, and not only got him something to eat at once, but found lime, in the midst of her business, to sit down and have a g jssip with him, while he did justice to the fare set bt-fuie him. As he whs eating, he let fall Ills knife, which he asked her to [ii. k up lor him ; she playfully remonstrated, tilling him she feared, from a I she heard, he did little enough work, and ought ut least to unit upon himself. In 'he end, however, sha stoopeu down to pick up the kni'e, »hen the treacherous villain drew a dagger from under his coal, and caught her by tliM nape of the neck, griping bei throat firmly with his fingeis to prevent her screaming ; then, with an oath, he desired her to tell him where her master kept his money, threatening to kill tier il'shc did not comply with his demand. The surprised and lenitied girl in v.iin attempted to p.rley with him; he still held her tightly in his choking grasp, leaving her no other choice but to die, or betray her master. She saw Ihi re was no hope of softening him, or changing his purpose, and with the full conviction of his treachery, all her native ourage woke in her bosom- Affecting, however, to yield to what was inevitable, she answered him in a resigned tone, thut >vhal must be, must; only, if he carried off her master's gold, he must take her with him tou ; for sits could never slay to bear their suspicions and reiirua.'hes, entreating him at thu same lima to relax his grasp of her throat, for >he could hardly speak, much less do what he bid her, while he held her sj tight. At length he was induced to quit his hold, on her reminding him that he loss no time, for the family would be returning from church. She then lei the way to tier mas er's bed-room, and showed him the colfer where lie kept his money. " Here," she said, reichmg to him an axe which lay in a corner of the room, " you can open it with this, while.l run up stairs to put all my things together, besides tbc money J have saved siiuc 1 huvo been heie." Completely deceived by her apparent readiness to enter into his plans, he allowed her to leave the room, only exhorting her to be as [quick as and was immediately ahsoibcd in his own operations, fust opening the box, and then disposing the money about his person. In the muanwhile, Hiinchen, instead of going up stairs to her own room, crept softly along several passage?, till she again reached Her master's chamber. It was the work of a moment to shut and bolt the door upon him ; and this dune, sho rushed out to the outer door of the mill to give the alarm. The only being in sight was her master's little boy, a child of five years old ; to him she called with all her might,—" Run ! —run to meet your father as he comes from chuich j toll liim we shall all he murdered if he does not tome back!" The frightened child did as she bid him, and set oil'running on the road sho pointed out. I Somewhat relieved by seeing that the child understood her, and would make her case known, the sink down for a moment on the stone seat helorc the door, and, full uf con- ' tlicting emotions of grief and thankfulness for i her escape, she burst into tears. liut, at this monvut, a shrill wiillo aroused her attention ; lit was from her prisoner, Heiriricfc, who, [opening the grated window ahove her head, Ishuuud to some accomplice without, to catch [the child that was running away so fast, and Ito kill the girl. HKnchen looked rouad in

i;ri;'it alarm, but saw no one. Tho child -'till coniiiKied to run with all his might, nhil she hoped ii was hut a false alum to excite her fears and overcome her resolution ; when, just us the child reached a hollow in the next field (the channel of n natural drain), she saw n ruffian start up from the bed of the drain, and 'Hatching up the child in her arms, haften with liini inwards il"? tni-1, in accordance with th<- i!i:r. ii'iiii «f his ncc-iinplice. In a nioniiu' she |.'.-ieeived t : c full rsient of her d.mycr, «ml lomie.l her plan for escaping it. li« dealing into ill-.' mill, sho ilnuhlc locked and b.>!te;l the ilimr, the only apparent entrance into the hiiildiiigr, every oihi r tmaiis of ohvions iirco«s being prcvrn'.ed by strong iron gratings fixed up m-Miist all the windows,.— and then look her post at the upper casement, determined lo await patiently her master's return, and her consequent delivery from thai dangerous position, or her own death, if, indeed, inevitable ; for she was fully resolved In enter into no term?, and that nothing should induce her lo sjivc up her master's property into the robbers' hands. Sho had hardly time to secure hersell in her retreat, when the rufliati, holding the screaming cliihi iii his arms, and brandishing a knife in one hand, came up, and bid her oren the door, or he would break it down, adding many awful oaths and threats ; to which iier only I answer was,, that she put her tru>t in God-1-Icimich, who from his window was witness of this colloquy, now called out lo cut the child's thronl ; Uef'ire her eyes, if' she still persisted in her refusal. Poor IlKnchen's heart quailed at this.- horrible threat; for a moment her resolution failed, but only for a moment. The death of tne child could he no gain lo tliem, while her own death was certain if she admitted the nssailant; and her master, too, would be robbed. . tihe had no reason either to suppose that her compliance would save the Jjfe of the child. It was to risk all against nothing; and she resolved to hold nut lo the last, though the villain from : without renewed his threats, saying, ilia l it'she would not open the dour to him he would kill the child, and then set fire lo the mill over her head. " 1 put my trust in God," was still the poor girl's answer. In th» meanwhile, the ruffian set down the child for a moment, to look ahout for combustibles (o carry out his thnat; in this search he discovered a mode of entering the mill tintlioiiclit of by lliinrhen. It was a large aperture in the wall, communicntine. with the great wheel, and the other ma'-hinery of tlie mill; and it was a point entirely unprotected, for it had never been contemplated th/it any one would *eek to enter by so dangerous an inlet. Triumphant at this discovery, he returned to tie the hands and feet of the poor child, to prevent its escape, and then stole back to the aperture, by which he intended lo effect an entrance. The situation of the build : ng prevented Iliinchcn from seeing anything of this ; hut a thought had meanwhile struck her. ll was Sunday, when the mill was never at work ; if, therefore, l he sails were seen in motion, the. whole neighbourhood would know that something unusual was the matter ; and her master, especially, would hasten home to know the meaning ot nin thing so strange. Being all her life accustomed to the machinery of the mill, it was the work of a moment to set it in motion : a brisk breeze ■which sprung up at once set the sails Hying. The arms of the huge engine whirled round with fearful rapidity ; the ureal wheel slowly revolved on ils axle ; the smaller gear turned, and, creaked, and groaned, according as the machinery came into action ; the mill was in full operation. It was at inn moment thai the infTiau intruder had succeeded in squeezing himself through the aperture of the wall, anil getting himself safely lodged in the interior cf tho great drum-wheel. His dismay, however, was indescribable, when he began to be whirled about with its rotation, end found that all his efforts, to put a stop to the powerful machinery which set it in motion, or to extricate himself from this perilous situation were fruitless. In Iks tenor, he uttered shrieks, and horrible imprecations. Astonished at the noise, llfinehrn ran to the spot, and Eaw him caught like a rnt in his own | trap, from which it was no part of her plan to I liberate him. She knew he would be more frightened than hurt, if he kept within his rotory prison, without any rash attempt at escape j and that even if he became insensible, he could not fall nut of it. ' In the' meantime, thn wheel went round anil round with its s'.eady, unceasing, motion ; nnd round and round he went with it, while sense remained, licseiging lliinnhen with entreaties, promises, and wild impotent threats wbirlr were all equally disregarded, till, by degrees, ftclinir and perception f.ilfd him, mid he saw and heard no one. lie fell senselos at the bottom of tho eujiino, but even ihen his iuanimi'te body continued lo be whirled round as before ; for Iliiiiihen did not dare to tiusl appearances in such a villain, and would noi venture to suspend tho working of the mill, or

stop the mill-gear mid tackle from running at their fullest speed. At length she heard a loud knocking at the door, anil flow lo open it. It was her master, and his family, nei ompanied hy several of his ueiglilioiir*, all in the ulmnst excitement and wonder at seeing ihe mill-sails in full 3winj» on a Sunday, and slill more when they had (blind the poor child lying bound upon the glass, who, however, was too terrified to give Ih'-m any account of what hml happened. llKuclien, in a few words, told all; und then her spirit, which h.ul sustained her tlirt>ui;li such scenes of terror, gave way under the sense of salety and relief, mid she fell fainting in their anus, and wa« with diirieiiliy recovered. Tin: machinery of the mill was at once slopped, and the niiuiimale riifli.in dr.igsjeil fioin his dreadful pris. n. Heinrich, too, was drought foilh from the miller's chamber, and bmli were, in a short time, sent biiuml, uiuJer a strong escort, to Bonn, where they loon after mel iho reward of their crimes. Tiie story ■ of lhi» extraordinary act of presence of mind concludes by telling us tlml Hiinchen, thus ellectually cured of lier iuclinilion for her unworthy suitor, l« came, evenlnall>, ihe wile of the miller's cltteii son. and ilius lived, nil her life on the scene of her imminent danger and Iripjiy deliverance.