The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-26
HE WAS Az AsKER or AIMS.
NAnd "a Doctor of PhiIoIoEy of the Uni-
versity of Jena-A True story.


versity of Jena-A True story.
From Kate Fields Washington.
In ten beggars there are nine liars. This
is not a Partisan proverb; # is something 1
know TO be true My story-if record Of
actual fact can be called a story-is about
the tenth beggar.
met him one rainy afternoon as / was
hurrying along near Washington square,
New York. OF course he asked for some
thing and OF course refused. I went on
half a block TO the Office was in search OF.
found no one in and turned back. The
man was still standing on the corner.
Several persons passed him but he did not
offer 10 speak to them. I fancied he had
the air Of one new TO his trade and not yet
past feeling ashamed OF It. He was a man
of about s.. Of medium hight and slightly
stopped. He had an abstracted look as
Of an absent minded person. but the ex-
preston OF his face was not unpleasant
Finally he wore glasses and 1 think this
was the real reason / stopped and spoke
to him.
Excuse me. sir. for speaking to YOU"
he said in reply 10 my question, speaking
with strong German accent. but have
no money. can get no work"
What was your work."
II am teacher; Of Latin, French, Ger
man"
Are you graduate?"
He drew up with some pride
"Ach. yes. l am doctor of philology of
the University of Jena"
Doctor or no doctor, he was getting wet
and so was /. ] walked him over to a little
restaurant. and there he told his story.
He had been a teacher in the gymnasium
a Potsdam, he said and hearing of the
large salaries paid in America, came here
in November He applied at Columbia and
the University of the City of New York.
and wrote some letters. but of course. at
that time of year. there was no vacancies.
He had tried to secure private pupils, but
without success. Becoming discouraged,
and having no friends TO turn to, he simply
drifted about the city week after week till
his money was gone. "Tempora mutan-
tur," he said; Il did not like to beg, but
what could do?"
When / told him had studied German
he fairly glowed.
so you have read Heine-Schiller. Are
they not wonderful?'
For months, 1 suppose, ne mad neard
nothing, but the slang of the streets. To
meet a person who knew his favorite au-
thors was a rare pleasure, and he sput-
tered away about them in his broken Eng
fish for some time. Finally he told me
that his name was Hoevel and that he
was unmarried.
When he had finished his meal he said
in Latin: Let us 60"
Il have work to do this afternoon" l
said, "and / cannot stay longer. Where
can l see you-where do you live?'
81 live anywhere. l have no home
But where do you sleep?'
I'm a big place: 1t is 20 cents a night"
There are places where you can stay
for Is" l realized the heartlessness of this
as soon as l said It,
Yes, but they are-you call it bum
deliberated a moment. Can you meet
me at this corner at O'Clock tomorrow?
/ don't know that | can do anything, but
I'll see. And IL I'm not here tomorrow,
come the next day at the same time. I'll
be there one day or the other"
He promised to come and we parted.
That night / told the story to a crowd
of young fellows at the boarding house.
They seemed interested in the man and the
upshot of 1t was that we decided to form
a German conversation class and engage
my doctor of philology as leader.
AS l half expected, business made it inn
possible for me to keep my appointment
the next day. But the day after that l was
a the appointed place ten minutes ahead
of time. / waited and loitered about that
corner till the policeman grew suspicious.
Till $50 l stayed there. but the man did
not come l never saw him again.
All this happened nearly year ago. The
other day 1 picked up a recent copy of
the Evening Post and read this item:
Emil Hoevel, a German teacher of lam
guages, committed suicide yesterday
afternoon on the steps of the Yorkville
police court in East Fifth-seventh street,
this city, by stabbing himself in the heart.
The man. 1t is said, had received univer-
sity education in Germany. Dependency
over his poor success in securing pupils
and his poverty were the causes of the
act"
Then l wished l had kept my appoint
ment on the first day.