e rubbed his eyes again and again. At last he cast
them towards the ground, and there lay scattered about and broken into
small pieces, all that remained of his mill. The wheels and grindstone
lay near the base; the roof and sides had been carried almost a hundred
yards away, and the long arms still farther.

The miller's spirit was fairly broken when he saw the wreck of his mill.

He was aroused by Sam's voice. "This is a bad business, master," said
Sam. "When I heard it blow so hard last night, I was afraid of
something, though I did not think to find it as bad as this; but I said
`God's will be done, whatever happens.'"

"Well, He has done His will with me at all events," answered the miller
sullenly. "I don't think He could do much worse either."

"If we got our deserts, He could do very much worse to us," said Sam
firmly. "But, master, He is a God of love, and He sends these sort of
misfortunes, not because He hates us, but because He loves us, and
wishes us to think of Him, and trust to Him."

"Such talk as that won't rebuild the mill," exclaimed the miller almost
savagely.

"May be it won't, master; but it may help to make you turn to God and
trust to His mercy, as I try to do," said Sam.

"You, Sam! you, a wicked old sinner. How dare you talk of trusting to
God?"

"Because, master, He asks me to do so, He promises to forgive me my
sins," said Sam. "I should be declaring that God is a liar if I
wouldn't trust Him."

"Then you think that I am a sinner, Sam," said the miller.

"I know that you are one, master," answered Sam boldly.

The miller made no answer, but walked about the ruins, as if thinking
what part would do to go up again. The rotten state of the mill,
perhaps, made him think of his own state. Suddenly he stopped and
said--

"You are right, Sam; I've been a wicked, hardhearted man all my life,
all rotten and bad, and it's a wonder God hasn't struck me down long
ago, as the mill was struck down last night."

"Master, I say to you what was said a short time ago to me, `I came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,' (Mark chapter 2,
verse 17). It's a great thing to feel that we are sinners."

"Sam, you speak like a parson, and I'm near sure you speak what is
true," said the miller.

"I speak what is in the Bible, master, and so I am sure that it is what
is true," answered Sam.

Just then the miller saw Farmer Grey riding up the hill.

"I do not come to condo