Quality Introduction

The story starts with the author telling us about Mr. Gessler, a German shoemaker. The
author tells us that he knew Mr. Gessler from his days of youth. The shoemaker used to
make the author’s father’s boots. He lived with his elder brother in his shop, which was a
small by-street shop in a fashionable or famous part of London.
Quality Explanation
I knew him from the days of my extreme youth because he made my father’s boots. He lived
with his elder brother in his shop, which was in a small by-street in a fashionable part of
London.
by street-side street
fashionable – famous or trendy
‘I’ in this story is the author. The author tells us that he knew a person from his childhood as the
person used to make his father’s boots. This person lived with his elder brother in his shop only,
indicating that the person he is talking about did not have a house. Then the author tells that the
shop was in a small by-street in the famous part of London of that time.
 

 
The shop had a certain quiet distinction. There was no sign upon it other than the name of
Gessler Brothers; and in the window a few pairs of boots. He made only what was ordered,
and what he made never failed to fit. To make boots—such boots as he made—seemed to
me then, and still seems to me, mysterious and wonderful.
quiet – small
distinction – the difference
The shop was a bit different than the others. There was no sign upon it except the name of
Gessler Brothers, who lived and worked in the shop. In the window of the shop, there were only a
few pairs of boots on display. He didn’t have ready-made boots. The customer had to ask for a
particular style and give his foot size and other necessary details and Mr. Gessler would make the
boots according to the information he got. The boots he made never failed to fit. Such boots –
according to the author – seemed and still seem to him – mysterious and wonderful.
I remember well my shy remarks, one day, while stretching out to him my youthful foot.
“Isn’t it awfully hard to do, Mr Gessler?” And his answer, given with a sudden smile from out
of the redness of his beard: “Id is an ardt!’’
remarks – comments
youthful – young
The author tells us about how shyly he had once asked Mr. Gessler while stretching out his
youthful foot to him if making boots was awfully hard to do. The sudden smile was visible from
the redness of his beard as he told the author in his German accent that it was an art.
It was not possible to go to him very often— his boots lasted terribly, having something
beyond the temporary, some essence of boot stitched into them.
One went in, not as into most shops, but restfully, as one enters a church, and sitting on the
single wooden chair, waited. A guttural sound, and the tip-tap of his slippers beating the
narrow wooden stairs and he would stand before one without a coat, a little bent, in leather
apron, with sleeves turned back, blinking — as if awakened from some dream of boots.
lasted terribly: lasted very long
guttural: harsh and grating
The author says that it was not possible for anyone to go and order boots from Mr. Gessler very
often, for the boots he made lasted very long. They had something in them which made them last
longer than they were supposed to and they had some essence of boot stitched into them.
A customer’s experience in the shop was different than most shops. One went into the shop and
waited by sitting comfortably in a single wooden chair. According to ther author, this was similar
to one visiting the church. A guttural sound would come along with the noise of his slippers
beating the narrow wooden stairs. He would stand before one without a coat. His posture was a
little bent. He would come to the customer in his regular work clothes – a leather apron with the
sleeves of his shirt folded backward. He would blink rapidly as if he had been awakened from
some dream of boots.
And I would say, “How do you do, Mr Gessler? Could you make me a pair of Russian leather
boots?”
Without a word he would leave me retiring whence he came, or into the other portion of the
shop, and I would continue to rest in the wooden chair inhaling the incense of his trade.
Soon he would come back, holding in his hand a piece of gold-brown leather. With eyes
fixed on it he would remark, “What a beaudiful biece!” When I too had admired it, he would
speak again. “When do you wand dem?” And I would answer, “Oh! As soon as you
conveniently can.” And he would say, “Tomorrow fordnighd?” Or if he were his elder brother:
“I will ask my brudder.”
incense: The smell of leather is compared to the smell of incense in a church.
The author would greet the shoemaker and tell him his order.
Without a word, the shoemaker would go to bring something to show the author. The author
would sit again and wait while inhaling the smell of leather which corresponded with the smell of
incense in a church. The shoemaker would come back, a piece of gold-brown leather in his hand.
The shoemaker would admire the piece in his German accent. The author would admire the piece
too. Then Mr. Gessler would ask when the author would like his order. The author did not want to
put any pressure on him and would tell him that he could give it as convenient to him. Now, the
next answer would differ. If Mr. Gessler would be the one to take the order, the answer would be
after a fortnight. But if his elder brother were there, the answer would be that he would ask his
brother and then let him know.
Then I would murmur, ‘’Thank you! Good morning, Mr Gessler.” “Good morning’” he would
reply, still looking at the leather in his hand. And as I moved to the door, I would hear the
tip-tap of his slippers going up the stairs: to his dream of boots.
Then the author would thank and bid the shoemaker goodbye. The shoemaker would do the
same, his eyes still observing the piece of leather. As the author would move towards the door, he
would hear the tip tap of his slippers going up the stairs, resuming his dream of boots.
I cannot forget that day on which I had occasion to say to him, “Mr Gessler, that last pair of
boots creaked, you know.”
He looked at me for a time without replying, as if expecting me to withdraw or qualify the
statement, then said,“ld shouldn’d’ave greaked.’’
“It did, I’m afraid.”
withdraw – take back
qualify – modify
The author then talks about the day on which he had told the shoemaker about the last pair of
boots which creaked.
Mr. Gessler looked at the author without replying. He was expecting the author to take back his
statement or to modify it. When the author didn’t do so, Mr. Gessler said that it shouldn’t have
creaked.
The author then said that the boots did creak.
“You god dem wed before dey found demselves.”
“I don’t think so.”
“At that he lowered his eyes, as if hunting for memory of those boots and I felt sorry I had
mentioned this grave thing. “Zend dem back,” he said, “I will look at dem.”
hunting – searching
grave – sad
The shoemaker said that it was possible that they were wet before the author put them on.
However, the author rejected this possibility.
The shoemaker lowered his eyes and hunted for the memory of the boots. Mr. Gessler looked sad
and the author felt bad for mentioning such a grave thing to such a hardworking person like him.
Then the shoemaker told the author to bring the boots back to him. He wished to detect the fault
in them.
 

 
“Zome boods,” he continued slowly, “are bad from birdt. If I can do noding wid dem I take
dem off your bill.”
The shoemaker then told the author that there are some boots which are bad since the starting of
their manufacture, which is something that cannot be fixed. If there would be such a case for the
boots too, he said, he would take them off the author’s bill.
Once (once only) I went absent-mindedly into his shop in a pair of boots bought in an
emergency at some large firm. He took my order without showing me any leather and I
could feel his eyes penetrating the inferior covering of my foot. At last he said, “Dose are
nod my boods.”
absent-mindedly – not paying attention
The author then tells about the day when he once went absent-mindedly into his shop to buy
boots as the ones that he had bought from a large firm in an emergency were not comfortable.
Also he wanted to ask the shoemaker if he had made those boots. Mr. Gessler took his order
without showing him any leather as he was busy studying the uncomfortable boots the author
was wearing. When the author questioned him about the boots, the shoemaker said that those
were not made by him.
The tone was not one of anger, nor of sorrow, not even of contempt, but there was in it
something quiet that froze the blood. He put his hand down and pressed a finger on the
place where the left boot was not quite comfortable.
“Id ’urds’ you dere,” he said, “Dose big virms ’ave no self-respect.” And then, as if something
had given way within him, he spoke long and bitterly. It was the only time I ever heard him
discuss the conditions and hardships of his trade.
contempt: disrespect
firms: companies
long: prolonged
hardships: the hard times
The tone of the shoemaker when he told the author that those boots were not made by him was
not of anger or of sadness. Neither was it disrespectful. However, he sounded so emotionless that
the author was terrified. This indicates that Mr. Gessler’s tone was cold and bitter, as though he
were talking about someone or something he truly hated or was against. The shoemaker then put
his hand down and pressed a finger at the left boot, specifically where the author was not finding
the boot comfortable.
The shoemaker then told the author in his German accent that the spot he was touching was
hurting the author. Then, bitterly and longingly, he began speaking about the conditions and the
hardships of his trade. He complained that the big firms had no self-respect. It was the first time
the author had heard him discuss something so personal about his business.
“Dey get id all,” he said, “dey get id by advertisement, nod by work. Dey take id away from
us, who lofe our boods. Id gomes to disbresently I haf no work. Every year id gets less. You
will see.” And looking at his lined face I saw things I had never noticed before, bitter things
and bitter struggle and what a lot of grey hairs there seemed suddenly in his red beard!
lined: having wrinkles
Mr. Gessler said that the large firms paid more attention to the quantity of money rather than the
quality of their products. Their advertisement was more attractive than their work, but the people
don’t know that. The people get easily attracted to the large firms. Hence, the large companies
took all his customers because of the advertisements. Presently, he had no work and was
probably suffering financially because of this. He also mentioned that every year his work got less
and that it would affect him so badly that the author would soon see how hard his work was. The
author looked at his old face which was lined and saw things he had never noticed before. He
noticed the bitter things and the bitter struggles Mr. Gessler had to go through. He could see the
grey hair in the shoemaker’s red beard, which indicated that he had become too old to endure
the bitterness but he was still trying to go on.
As best I could, I explained the circumstances of those ill-omened boots. But his face and
voice made so deep an impression that during the next few minutes I ordered many pairs.
They lasted longer than ever. And I was not able to go to him for nearly two years.
circumstances: conditions
ill-omened: something which gave bad luck
The author explained the conditions of the uncomfortable shoes to the shoemaker. But the facial
expression and the tone of the shoemaker had made such a deep impact on the author that he
couldn’t help but buy so many pairs during the next few minutes that he did not need to visit him
for the next two years.
 

 
It was many months before my next visit to his shop. This time it appeared to be his elder
brother, handling a piece of leather.
“Well, Mr Gessler,” I said, “how are you?” He came close, and peered at me. “I am breddy
well,” he said slowly “but my elder brudder is dead.”
peered: looked closely and carefully
Many months before he went to his shop to order something, he went to the shop casually, just to
meet the shoemaker. When he went to the shop, he saw that Mr. Gessler’s elder brother was
handling a piece of leather.
The author greeted Mr. Gessler and asked about his well-being. Mr. Gessler came closer to the
author and looked carefully at him because he was having trouble in recognising the author. In
his German accent, he told the author that he was fine but his brother was dead.
And I saw that it was indeed himself but how aged and wan! And never before had I heard
him mention his brother. Much shocked, I murmured, “Oh! I am sorry!”
“Yes,” he answered, “he was a good man, he made a good bood. But he is dead.” And he
touched the top of his head, where the hair had suddenly gone as thin as it had been on
that of his poor brother, to indicate, I suppose, the cause of his death. “Do you wand any
boods?” And he held up the leather in his hand. “ld’s a beaudiful biece.”
aged: old
wan: weak
The author was shocked to hear such news. He thought that he was talking to the elder brother
but instead it was the shoemaker all along. This indicates that the shoemaker had become very
old and weak and that he closely resembled his elder brother. The author murmured an apology.
He couldn’t speak louder because of the shock he had received.
Mr. Gessler then said that his elder brother was a good man and made good boots. Then, he
touched the top of the head, where he was going bald. This indicated that the shoemaker wanted
to indicate that the cause of his elder brother was old age. Then, the shoemaker changed the
topic by talking about boots and showing the author a beautiful piece of leather.
I ordered several pairs. It was very long before they came—but they were better than ever.
One simply could not wear them out. And soon after that I went abroad.
The author felt so bad for the shoemaker that he ordered several pairs. They came after a long
time, which means that he was too weak to do all the work on time. However, the quality was
better than ever. They were so good that they lasted longer than ordinary boots. Soon after the
author received the boots, he went abroad.
It was over a year before I was again in London. And the first shop I went to was my old
friend’s. I had left a man of sixty; I came back to one of seventy-five, pinched and worn, who
genuinely, this time, did not at first know me.
pinched: stressed
genuinely: really
Over a year had passed. The author was back again in London. The first shop the author went to
was Mr. Gessler’s, whom he considered his old friend. He then tells us how much the shoemaker’s
appearance had changed. When the author had left England, the shoemaker looked like he was
in his sixties, but when the author met him again, he saw that he was now meeting a man of
seventy-five. Mr. Gessler looked pinched and worn, who couldn’t recognise the author.
“Do you wand any boods?” he said. “I can make dem quickly; id is a zlack dime.”
I answered, “Please, please! I want boots all around—every kind.”
slack: break, relax
The shoemaker asked the author if he wanted any boots. He added that he could make them
quickly as he had free time.
The author requested the shoemaker to make boots of each kind.
I had given those boots up when one evening they came. One by one I tried them on. In
shape and fit, in finish and quality of leather they were the best he had ever made. I flew
downstairs, wrote a cheque and posted it at once with my own hand.
given … up: thought they would never come
The order was taking a lot of time to arrive, so the author had given up those boots and the hope
that someday they would arrive. However, the boots arrived in the evening that day. One by one
he tried each and every boot he had received. In every aspect, shape, fit, finishing and quality,
they were the best boots the shoemakerhad ever made. The author quickly went downstairs to
write and post the cheque.
A week later, passing the little street, I thought I would go in and tell him how splendidly the
new boots fitted. But when I came to where his shop had been, his name was gone.
I went in very much disturbed. In the shop, there was a young man with an English face.
splendidly: perfectly
disturbed: alarmed, shocked
A week after he had received his order, he passed the little street where Mr. Gessler’s shop was
located. The author felt like going to the shoemaker and praising his work. However, when he
reached the place where his shop was located, he saw that the shoemaker’s name was not there
anymore.
The author was disturbed to see this and went into the shop, scared of what he would find out. In
the shop, there was a young, English man instead of Mr. Gessler.
“Mr Gessler in?” I said.
“No, sir,” he said. “No, but we can attend to anything with pleasure. We’ve taken the shop
over.”
“Yes. yes,” I said, “but Mr Gessler?”
“Oh!” he answered, “dead.”
“Dead! But I only received these boots from him last Wednesday week.”
The author asked the young man if the shoemaker was in the shop.
The young man replied in negative. He then added that he could attend anything with pleasure
and had taken the shop over.
The author however didn’t pay much attention to the comment as he wanted to meet Mr. Gessler.
He repeated his question.
The young man understood and told the author that he was dead.
The author exclaimed, as he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He told the man that it
wasn’t possible for him to be dead as he had received the boots just last Wednesday week.
“Ah!” he said, “poor old man starved himself. Slow starvation, the doctor called it! You see he
went to work in such a way! Would keep the shop on; wouldn’t have a soul touch his boots
except himself. When he got an order, it took him such a time. People won’t wait. He lost
everybody. And there he’d sit, going on and on. I will say that for him—not a man in London
made a better boot. But look at the competition! He never advertised! Would have the best
leather too, and do it all himself. Well, there it is. What could you expect with his ideas?”
The young English man started explaining what had happened. He told the author that Mr.
Gessler had starved himself. According to the doctors, the cause of death was slow starvation. It
happened because of how he would work. He would keep the shop on but won’t let anyone touch
the boots except himself. When he would get an order, he would take too much time to make and
deliver them. That’s how the shoemaker started losing his customers. People didn’t have that
much patience. However, the shoemaker wouldn’t stop working. The man agreed that Mr. Gessler
made the best boots. But the fact that he never advertised made so much competition that he
couldn’t keep the pace. He concluded saying that, with the ideas the shoemaker had, this was
bound to happen.
“But starvation!”
“That may be a bit flowery, as the saying is— but I know myself he was sitting over his boots
day and night, to the very last you see, I used to watch him. Never gave himself time to eat;
never had a penny in the house. All went in rent and leather. How he lived so long I don’t
know. He regularly let his fire go out. He was a character. But he made good boots.”
flowery: over-elaborate
The author couldn’t still understand how the cause of death was starvation.
The man said that the cause might be a bit fancy and over-elaborate – but he used to observe his
actions, from day to night, till the last boot Mr. Gessler would make that day. The shoemaker
never gave himself time to eat and didn’t have a penny in his house. He would spend all his
money on rent and leather, but not on food. According to the man, it was surprising to see
someone so old live so long without food. He was someone who had a unique character, but he
made good boots.
“Yes,” I said, “he made good boots.”
The author agreed with the young man. He made good boots.