- High spirited daughter of Miller Tulliver, the owner of the "Mill on the Floss," Maggie Tulliver goes to visit Tom, her brother, at his boarding school and becomes acquainted with Philip Wakem, Tom's crippled schoolmate. After Philip's father, a prosperous lawyer, schemes to take over the mill, Tom forces Maggie to end her liaison with Philip. To satisfy his father's dying wish, Tom maneuvers to reclaim the mill, which legends say will cause the Floss River to flood if it is lost to the Tullivers, but throws Maggie out of the house when he hears spurious reports about her friendship with Stephen Guest, her cousin's fiancé. Although she loves Stephen, Maggie decides to give him up and mend her relationship with Tom. On her way to his house, the Floss begins to overflow, threatening to destroy the mill. Bravely Maggie struggles to save her brother, but the river overcomes them, and they die, clasped in each other's arms.—Pamela Short
- The Tullivers had owned "The Mill on the Floss" for generations, and there was a tradition that if the mill, instead of passing from father to son, was sold to another family the Floss would overflow its banks and destroy the mill. Tulliver, the impetuous mill owner, was devoted to his wife and two children, a boy and a girl. Tom, the son, had already shown signs of a strong will, and resembled his father greatly, while Maggie, the little daughter, while a very affectionate child, was wild and mischievous. One of the sorrows of Mrs. Tulliver's life was that her daughter's hair did not curl. Lucy, Maggie's cousin, had beautiful blonde curls. The Tullivers entertained their relatives at dinner. Maggie, who had heard her father say to one of the guests that if her hair was cut it would lie smooth, determined to cut off the troublesome hair. After considerable urging she succeeded in inducing Tom to perform the task. The reckoning came when the shorn Maggie appeared before her surprised family. Her father was the only one who sympathized with her. During a visit to Tom at his boarding school Maggie made a new friend in Philip Wakem, her brother's crippled schoolmate, and the son of Lawyer Wakem, her father's bitter enemy. Philip had considerable talent as an artist and he made an excellent sketch of Maggie. Maggie returned to her home, but the memory of her visit was treasured by the little cripple. Maggie's father had good cause to regard Lawyer Wakem with suspicion. For years he had cast longing eyes at "The Mill on the Floss," but Tulliver had firmly refused to sell it. The Miller's hot temper was well known to the lawyer, and he planned by arousing it to secure the property he coveted. So, as the representative of a neighboring mill owner he managed to embroil Tulliver in a lawsuit. The miller mortgaged his mill to prosecute the case, and when it was decided against him the mill was sold to pay his debts, and Wakem, who secretly held the mortgage on the mill, took possession. Philip, Wakem's son, pitying the Tullivers' plight, induced his father to make the former mill owner the manager of the property he had once possessed. The miller would have refused the position but he had to care for his wife and family, so he went to work for Wakem, but he made his son swear undying enmity to the lawyer. Meanwhile Maggie and Philip frequently saw each other and the devotion of the lawyer's crippled son to the daughter of the miller became more marked. Philip finally told Maggie that he loved her and asked her to marry him. She told him that she had not thought of it, that she regarded him only as a highly honored friend. Tom Tulliver cherished a deep hatred against the Wakems, and when, by chance, he discovered Philip and Maggie strolling along the shore together, he angrily threatened Philip with violence. The cripple was powerless to fight Tom, and he might have met with serious injury if Maggie had not told him that he must never see her again, without her brother's consent. Maggie's wish was his law and he promised. The miller and his family worked incessantly in an effort to obtain sufficient money to buy the mill back from Wakem. At last an investment which Tom had made with Bob, a former employee of the mill, returned huge profits. Joy over the unexpected news was too much for the miller, and when he met Wakem on the road, his long smoldering resentment against the arrogant lawyer flared up. A quarrel ensued and Tulliver struck Wakem ground. The lawyer was not badly injured, but Tulliver overwrought by his sufferings and his sudden triumph, was taken seriously ill and died that night. Tom bought the mill, but he still cherished resentment against Wakem and his crippled son Phil. Maggie was true to her promise not to see Philip. Philip was happy in Maggie's company until a rival appeared in the person of Stephen Guest, the son of a wealthy man. Philip noticed the growing attraction between Maggie and Stephen, and, desiring her happiness even at the cost of his own, so contrived it that Stephen took Maggie rowing. On the trip Stephen made love to Maggie and urged her to marry him, but although she loved him, also she reminded him that he was pledged to Lucy, her cousin, and refused to listen to him. When they returned to town the tongue of gossip had done its deadly work and life became very hard for Maggie. Her friends turned against her, and Tom, her brother, ordered her from their home. Her mother was loyal and offered to go away with her, but this Maggie would not allow, telling her to stay with Tom. Bob, the former mill hand, brought her to his little home. In the evening Maggie read over two letters. One was from Stephen, urging her to wait for him, saying that he would soon come to claim her; the other was a pathetic letter from Philip, the cripple, telling her that he could not blame her for loving Stephen. She thought of the two men, the one she loved and the one she pitied, and realized that it was best that both should pass out of her life. Dropping on her knees, she prayed to be restored to the love of her brother. Her prayer was answered the following day. There had been a heavy rainfall for many days, and when the morning dawned the Floss had overrun its banks and a raging torrent descended upon the land. Maggie awoke to the realization that the water had risen to her bedroom window. Boats were brought, and the people in the house escaped, while Maggie rowed to the mill to find her mother and brother. Tom was alone in the mill, his mother having left the day before to visit relatives. He realized how he misjudged his sister. The current of the flood was too strong for Tom and Maggie to combat and several hours later their bodies were found in the wreckage in a close embrace.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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