Section 124 Dr. Guthrie on Ragged Schools. — II
The1 cobbler was there himself, spectacles2 on nose, an old shoe between his (S. 43, N. 9) knees, the massive3 forehead and firm mouth indicating4 great determination of character, and, beneath his bushy eyebrows, benevolence5 gleamed out on a number of poor ragged boys and girls who stood at their lessons round the busy cobbler. My curiosity was awakened; and in the inscription I read how this man, John Pounds, a cobbler in Portsmouth, took6 pity on the multitude of7 poor ragged children left8 by ministers and magistrates, and ladies and gentlemen, to go to ruin in the streets—how9, like a good shepherd, he gathered in these wretched10 outcasts—how he had trained11 them to God and the world—and how12, while earning his daily bread by13 the sweat of his brow, he had rescued14 from misery and saved to15 society not less than five hundred of these gentlemen16. I felt17 ashamed of myself. I18 felt reproved for the little I had done. My feelings19 were touched. I was astonished at the man’s achievements; and I20 well remember, in21 the enthusiasm of the moment, saying to my companion (and I have seen in my cooler and calmer moments no reason for22 unsaying the saying): “That man is23 an honour to humanity, and deserves the greatest monument ever24 raised within the shores of Britain.”
Notes
1 The — himself, Da saß der Schuhflicker, wie er leibte und lebte.
2 spectacles, die Brille; on, auf, with the def. art.
[3] broad.
4 indicating = gave evidence of (zeugen von).
5 benevolence — cobbler = shone forth (erglänzen) a pair of benevolent eyes with which he looked (blicken) upon a number (Anzahl, f.) of poor, ragged (zerlumpt) boys and girls who learned their lessons (Aufgabe, f.) and stood around the busy (= industrious) cobbler. To stand around a person, um einen herum´stehen.
6 to take pity on a person, sich jemandes erbarmen, with gen.
7 Use the gen. of the adjectives.
8 left — streets = which ministers (Geistliche) and magistrates (Obrigkeit, f.) had left (überlas´sen) to their ruin in (auf) the streets. Read App. § 17.
9 After ‘how’ follows the subject ‘he’ according to S. 66, N. 15.
10 wretched = unfortunate; gathered in = assembled around himself, um sich her versammelte.
11 to train, erzie´hen; to, für.
12 und wie er sie, während er... verdiente.
13 by — brow, im Schweiße seines Angesichtes, which place after ‘daily bread’.
14 to rescue from misery, aus dem Elend ziehen. The auxiliary verb, which must be used in the Subjunctive, according to App. §§ 28 and 30, may be omitted in the intermediate clauses of this long period, and placed but once at the end of the entire passage.
15 Use the dat. of the def. art.
[16] The word ‘gentlemen’ is best used in its unaltered form in this passage. It should be placed in inverted commas.
17 to feel ashamed of oneself, sich beschämt fühlen.
18 Say ‘The little (was) I had done was to me (mir) a reproach’.
19 feelings = heart.
20 I well remember = I know yet very well.
21 Say ‘that I said in the enthusiasm of the moment’, etc.
22 das Gesagte zu widerrufen.
23 macht der Menschheit Ehre.
24 = which ever (je) has been raised within the British Isles.