Tales of the Ridings | Page 2

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once safely behind him, a student should widen his experience by a
taste of foreign travel. Accordingly, in September, 1893, Moorman
betook himself to Strasbourg, primarily for the sake of continuing his
studies under the skilful guidance of Ten Brinck. The latter, however,
was almost at once called to Berlin and succeeded by Brandl, now
himself of the University of Berlin, who actually presided over
Moorman's studies for the next two years, and who thought, and never
ceased to think, very highly both of his abilities and his acquirements.
It was only natural that Moorman should make a pretty complete
surrender to German ideals and German methods of study. It was
equally natural that, in the light of subsequent experience, his
enthusiasms in that line should suffer a considerable diminution. He
was not of the stuff to accept for ever the somewhat bloodless and
barren spirit which has commonly dominated the pursuit of literature in
German universities.
Into the social life of his new surroundings he threw himself with all
the zest that might have been expected from his essentially sociable
nature: making many friendships--that of Brandl was the one he most
valued--and joining--in some respects, leading--his fellow-students in
their sports and other amusements. His first published work, in fact,
was a translation of the Rules of Association Football into German; and
he may fairly be regarded as the godfather of that game on German soil.
Nor was this the end of his activities. During the two years he spent at
Strasbourg he acted as Lektor in English to the University, so
gaining--and gaining, it is said, with much success--his first experience
in what was to be his life's work as a teacher.
On the completion of his course at Strasbourg, where he obtained the
degree of Ph.D. in June 1895,(2) he returned to Aberystwyth, now no
longer as student but as Lecturer in the English Language and
Literature under his friend and former teacher, Professor Herford.
There he remained for a little over two years (September, 1895, to
January, 1898), gradually increasing his stores of knowledge and
strengthening the foundations of the skill which was afterwards to serve
him in good stead as a teacher. During that time he also became
engaged to the sister of one of his colleagues, Miss Frances Humpidge,

whom he had known for some years and whose love was to be the chief
joy and support of his after life.
As a matter of prudence, the marriage was postponed until his
prospects should be better assured. The opportunity came sooner than
could have been expected. In January, 1898, he was appointed to the
lectureship in his subject--a subject, such is our respect for literature,
then first handed over to an independent department--in the Yorkshire
College at Leeds; and in August of the same year he was married. Four
children, three of whom survived and the youngest of whom was
twelve at the time of his death, were born during the earlier years of the
marriage.
The life of a teacher offers little excitement to the onlooker; and all that
can be done here is to give a slight sketch of the various directions in
which Moorman's energies went out. The first task that lay before him
was to organise the new department which had been put into his hands,
to make English studies a reality in the college to which he had been
called, to give them the place which they deserve to hold in the life of
any institution devoted to higher education. Into this task he threw
himself with a zeal which can seldom, if ever, have been surpassed.
Within six years he had not only put the teaching of his subject to Pass
Students upon a satisfactory basis; he had also laid the foundations of
an Honours School able to compete on equal terms with those of the
other colleges which were federated in the then Victoria University of
the north. It was a really surprising feat for so young a man--he was
little over twenty-five when appointed--to have accomplished in so
short a time; the more so as he was working single-handed: in other
words, was doing unaided the work, both literary and linguistic, which
in other colleges was commonly distributed between two or three. And
I speak with intimate knowledge when I say that the Leeds students
who presented themselves for their Honours Degree at the end of that
time bore every mark of having been most thoroughly and efficiently
prepared.
In 1904, six years after Moorman's appointment to the lectureship, the
Yorkshire College was reconstituted as a separate and independent

university, the University of Leeds; and in the rearrangement which
followed, an older man was invited to come in as official chief of the
department for which Moorman had hitherto