German composition

Section 231 An Oration on the Power of Habit. — III

If you say: “Should I find the practice by experience to be injurious, I will give it up,” surely that is not common sense⁠1. You might as well say: “I will put my hand into the nest of the rattlesnake, and when I find out that he has stuck his fangs into me⁠2, I will draw it out and get cured.”

I remember riding from⁠3 Buffalo to the Niagara Falls, and said to a gentleman: “What river is that, Sir?” “That,” he said, “is Niagara River⁠4.” “Well, it is a beautiful stream,” said I, “bright, and fair, and glossy; how far off are the rapids⁠5?” “Only a mile or two,” was the reply. “Is it possible that (S. 66, N. 15) only a mile or two from us we shall find the water in the turbulence which it must show when near the falls?” “You will find it so, Sir.” And so I did find it; and that first sight of the Niagara I shall never forget. Now, launch your boat on that Niagara river; it is bright, smooth, beautiful, and glossy. There is a ripple at the bow⁠6, and the silvery wake⁠7 you leave behind adds to your enjoyment. Down the stream you glide; oars, sails, and helm are in proper trim, and you set out⁠8 on your pleasure excursion⁠9. Suddenly some one cries out from the bank: “Young men, ahoy⁠10!” “What is it⁠11!”—“The rapids are below you⁠12!”—“Ha, ha! we have heard of the rapids, but we are not so foolish as to get there⁠13. If we go [= If it goes] too fast, then up with the helm⁠14, then set the mast in the socket⁠15, hoist the sail, and speed to land⁠16. Then on⁠17, boys; don’t be alarmed—there’s no danger!”

Notes

1 = reasonable.

2 stuck — me = bitten me.

3 riding from = that I during a journey from; change ‘and said to’ into ‘asked’.

4 Use the def. art.

[5] die Stromschnellen.

6 Das Wasser kräuselt sich am Bug des Bootes.

7 Kielwasser, n.

8 ‘to set out on’, here an´treten, v. tr.

9 Vergnügungstour.

10 Ohoi! of which pronounce every vowel separately and slowly in the German way.

11 Was giebts.

12 are below you, sind dort unten nicht weit von euch!

13 as — there, so weit zu fahren.

14 dann schnell das Steuerruder hinein.

15 dann richten wir den Mast auf.

16 und eilen ans Land!

17 Daher nur immer vorwärts.