In the story, Feld is a disgruntled shoemaker. He feels that he has 'wasted his youth' and regrets not pursuing the kind of higher education that may have saved him from an impoverished existence.

Since he has 'wasted his youth,' Feld hopes to make amends by ensuring that his daughter, Miriam, has better options in life. Miriam, on the other hand, is not interested in pursuing a college degree. This leads her father to theorize that Miriam's future happiness will be predicated on marrying the right man, preferably an educated one. In short, Feld feels responsible for making sure that Miriam does not end up like him: poor, disgruntled, and unhappy. 

Maybe he would awaken in her a desire to go to college; if not—the shoemaker’s mind at last came to grips with the truth—let her marry an educated man and live a better life.

This is why Feld feels an urgent need to introduce Max to Miriam; the pragmatic father wants the two young people to court and to eventually get married. However, neither Miriam nor Max take to each other, despite Feld's efforts. Towards the end of the story, Feld is torn when he realizes the true extent of Sobel's feelings for his daughter. The loving father has slaved for most of his life to ensure that his daughter will have better opportunities than he ever did. Now, her prospects will prove no better than her mother's if she marries Sobel. The story ends with Feld taking pity on Sobel and giving his assistant permission to court Miriam when she turns twenty-one in two years.