es,
but never gave me any pocket-money, and Timothy and I often lamented
that we had not even a halfpenny to spend.

Before I had been many months in the shop Mr Brookes was able to leave
when any exigence required his immediate attendance. I made up the
pills, but he weighed out the quantities in the prescriptions; if,
therefore, any one came in for medicines, I desired them to wait the
return of Mr Brookes, who would be in very soon. One day, when Mr
Brookes was out, and I was sitting behind the counter, Timothy sitting
on it, and swinging his legs to and fro, both lamenting that we had no
pocket-money, Timothy said, "Japhet, I've been puzzling my brains how we
can get some money, and I've hit it at last; let you and I turn doctors;
we won't send all the people away who come when Mr Brookes is out, but
we'll physic them ourselves."

I jumped at the idea, and he had hardly proposed it, when an old woman
came in, and addressing Timothy, said, "That she wanted something for
her poor grandchild's sore throat."

"I don't mix up the medicines, ma'am," replied Timothy; "you must apply
to that gentleman, Mr Newland, who is behind the counter--he understands
what is good for every body's complaints."

"Bless his handsome face--and so young too! Why, be you a doctor, sir?"

"I should hope so," replied I; "what is it you require--a lotion, or an
embrocation?"

"I don't understand those hard words, but I want some doctor's stuff."

"Very well, my good woman; I know what is proper," replied I, assuming
an important air. "Here, Timothy, wash out this vial very clean."

"Yes, sir," replied Timothy, very respectfully.

I took one of the measures, and putting in a little green, a little
blue, and a little white liquid from the medicine bottles generally used
by Mr Brookes, filled it up with water, poured the mixture into the
vial, corked, and labelled it, _haustus statim sumendus_, and handed it
over the counter to the old woman.

"Is the poor child to take it, or is it to rub outside?" inquired the
old woman.

"The directions are on the label;--but you don't read Latin?"

"Deary me, no! Latin! and do you understand Latin? What a nice clever
boy!"

"I should not be a good doctor if I did not," replied I. On second
thoughts, I considered it advisable and safer, that the application
should be _external_, so I translated the label to her--_Haustus_, rub
it in--_statim_, on the throat--_sumendus_, with the palm of the hand