Section 198 False Pride
Have pity on1 the youth who is ashamed to be seen carrying2 a parcel. Such a youth will never climb the hill3; he will never be honoured and respected by sensible, respectable4 men. And yet how many there are (S. 82, N. 7) who have the failing5. Do you know the story of the young man who came down from a country town of New Hampshire, and entered the great wholesale establishment of the Lawrences—Abbot and Amos—in Boston6? He was a young merchant who had just commenced business7. He had money enough with which to purchase a certain quantity of goods, and wished to get as many more on credit8, if they (S. 134, N. 4) would trust9 him.
Mr. Lawrence shook his head. The young man could offer no security, and the old10 merchants did not consider it good policy to give credit to an unknown and untried young man. The youthful customer did not blame them. He said he should probably do the same himself by one whom he did not know11. “However,” he added, “I hope I may grow into your confidence one of these days12.”
Then he paid for the goods he had purchased; and when they had been done up13, he was asked where he would have them sent14. “I will take15 them myself,” was the answer. “But the parcel is heavy,” said the clerk. “And I am young and strong,” answered the customer. “No, I will take the parcel on my shoulder. I cannot earn half a dollar more easily or more honestly.” And he had taken the parcel on his shoulder, and had approached the door, when Mr. Lawrence came out of his office, where16 he had been a spectator of the scene, and called the youth back. “You can have all the goods you want, young man17,” he said. “Make your own selection, and set your own time for payment18. He who is willing to help himself, will not betray19 those who are willing to help him.”
And the old merchant was not mistaken. That young man became one of his most valuable customers, and one of his valued20 friends.
When Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, son of (S. 25, N. 5) King Jerome of Westphalia and nephew of the Emperor Napoleon I., was a student of21 Harvard College, in Cambridgeshire, he was one day carrying a bundle of clothing22 from his washer-woman’s to his dormitory23, when he was met by a companion24, who asked him, with much surprise, why he had not had the bundle sent to his room.
“Why should I do that?” asked the prince. “Why25,” said his companion with a little touch of embarrassment, “you know it doesn’t look well to carry one’s own bundle like a common labourer.”
“Bah26,” cried Jerome, laughing, “I trust I shall never be ashamed to be seen bearing27 anything (S. 3, N. 7) that belongs to a Bonaparte!”—The New York Herald.
Notes
1 mit.
2 = with.
3 = Such a one will never get on (vorwärts kommen).
4 solide.
5 = this fault.
6 from — Boston = from (aus) a small town in N. H. to Boston, and there entered the great (großartig) wholesale establishment (Warenlager) of Messrs. Lawrence—Abbot and Amos?
7 I have just commenced business, ich habe mich soeben etabliert.
8 to get a thing on credit, etwas auf Kredit entnehmen; as many more, noch einmal so viele.
9 to trust a person, einem Vertrauen schenken.
10 = experienced.
11 by — know, einem Unbekannten gegenüber, to be placed after ‘should’ and the grammatical object ‘es’. To do the same oneself, es auch so machen.
12 I may — days = that I shall gain (sich erwerben) one of these days (dermaleinst) your confidence.
13 = were packed.
14 = where they should be sent.
15 = carry.
16 von wo; to be a spectator of a scene, eine Scene mit an´sehen.
17 Herr.
18 to set one’s own time for payment, den Zahlungstermin selbst bestimmen.
19 betrügen.
20 = best.
21 was — of = studied in.
22 mit Wäsche.
23 = ‘lodging’ here.
24 I was met by a companion, ein Freund begegnete mir.
25 Ei; his = the; with — embarrassment, etwas verlegen; you know, doch, to be placed after the verb; to carry = if one carries.
26 = Nonsense!
27 to be seen bearing = to bear.