old, was standing near with his basket to deliver the medicines to the
several addresses, as soon as they were ready. The young man behind the
counter, whose name was Brookes, was within eighteen months of serving
his time, when his friends intended to establish him on his own account,
and this was the reason which induced Mr Cophagus to take me, that I
might learn the business, and supply his place when he left. Mr Brookes
was a very quiet, amiable person, kind to me and the other boy who
carried out the medicines, and who had been taken by Mr Cophagus, for
his food and raiment. The porter told Mr Brookes who I was, and left me.
"Do you think that you will like to be an apothecary?" said Mr Brookes
to me, with a benevolent smile.

"Yes; I do not see why I should not," replied I.

"Stop a moment," said the lad who was waiting with the basket, lookly
archly at me, "you hav'n't got through your _rudimans_ yet."

"Hold your tongue, Timothy," said Mr Brookes. "That you are not very
fond of the rudiments, as Mr Cophagus calls them, is very clear. Now
walk off as fast as you can with these medicines, sir--14, Spring
Street; 16, Cleaver Street, as before; and then to John Street, 55, Mrs
Smith's. Do you understand?"

"To be sure I do--can't I read? I reads all the directions, and all your
Latin stuff into the bargain--all your summen dusses, horez, dìez,
cockly hairy. I mean to set up for myself one of these days."

"I'll knock you down one of these days, Mr Timothy, if you stay so long
as you do, looking at the print shops; that you may depend upon."