John Galsworthy knew Mr. Gessler, a shoemaker, from his extreme youth. Mr. Gessler and his elder brother ran a quiet shoemaking business out of their tenement in London. Mr. Gessler was a diligent and disciplined shoemaker who took great pride in his craft, doing all the leather work himself. He would quickly finish shoes to the customer's request. Both brothers resembled each other closely, though the elder brother appeared paler. The story depicts the hard work and quality products of the shoemaking brothers in 1912 London.