German composition

Section 210 A Friend in Need. — II

The gentleman put in a shilling, and stooped down to read a crumpled piece of paper which hung loosely from the collar. It bore these words, written in a⁠1 shaky hand: “This is the dog of a poor man who is bed-ridden. It earns bread for its master. Good people, do not prevent it from returning to its home.” On receiving (S. 55, N. 1) any money, the poor creature returned thanks by a wag of its tail. Almost every one of the spectators gave the dog something, and when it had finished collecting the money, it barked once or twice, as if to say good-bye, and then scampered off. On entering the principal street, it quickened its pace⁠2, and the gentleman finding it impossible to keep up with it⁠3, hailed⁠4 a cab, and, much to the driver’s amazement⁠5, cried: “Follow that dog.” After a time the dog bolted up a narrow alley⁠6, through which the cab could not pass⁠7. The gentleman alighted, and followed the dog through a dark close up⁠8 to the garret of a rickety dwelling. Pulling the string attached to the latch, the dog opened the door, and the stranger followed. Its master lay dying⁠9 on a wretched bed, supported⁠10 by the earnings of the faithful creature, who practised⁠11 the same tricks alone as it used to do under its master’s superintendence. Death soon ended⁠12 the poor man’s sufferings, and the dog followed the coffin to the grave. The gentleman took home the dog, but next morning the poor beast howled impatiently for⁠13 the basket to go its rounds as usual. It went with the pennies to the cemetery and laid them on a grave, whining⁠14 mournfully, and trying to scratch up the earth. Twice more it went out all day, and brought back the money for its master; but, on finding the money untouched, it lay down at full length upon the grave. The next morning it did not go its rounds, for it was dead.—Chambers’s “Short Stories.”

Notes

1 in a = with.

2 here Lauf, m.

3 to keep up with a person, gleichen Schritt mit einem halten.

4 an´rufen, sep. comp. str. w. tr.

5 = to the great amazement of the driver.

6 plötzlich in einen Durchgang hinein´laufen.

7 passieren.

8 Passage, f.; to = into; rickety, baufällig.

9 im Sterben.

10 = and was supported (unterhalten or versorgen).

11 here aus´üben.

12 einer Sache (Dat.) ein Ende machen.

13 nach; ‘to go one’s rounds’, here seine Runde wieder an´treten.

14 = whereby he whined.