snuff department, Mr. Mit to the cigar and pipe branch.
It was the intention of Mr. Mit, expressed soon after the adoption of
little Peter, to bring him up to take charge of the chewing tobacco
branch. In consequence of this division of the business, David Morgridge
took snuff incessantly, but never smoked. Solomon Mit smoked all the
while but never took snuff. They did this to recommend their wares.
Besides, it served to explain the duty of each partner. If a customer
came in for pipes or cigars he invariably went directly to Mr. Mit; if
he came for snuff, he as surely turned to Mr. Morgridge.

When Peter entered the shop, Mr. Morgridge was just wiping his face
after a pinch of snuff; the whole air of the shop was snuffy, and no one
came in without instantly being tempted to sneeze. Peter sneezed as a
matter of course, and Mr. Morgridge, after his usual fashion, replied
with a "God bless you!" He seldom got the compliment in return, however,
as in his case the blessing would have become so common as to be quite
worthless. Mr. Morgridge then inquired into Peter's sales, and with
that his regular conversation ended. His mouth shut so closely, with the
corners turned down to cover any possible opening, that one would know
immediately that no accidental words could escape. But to-night Peter
did not mean to let his guardian keep his usual silence; he was too much
concerned about the picture he had seen in the shop-window. He waited
however till after tea. Then, as they returned to the shop, Mr.
Morgridge taking his customary seat upon his bench, with a pot of snuff
beside him, set about his work of putting up tobacco in divers shapes.
Peter took his customary seat also, much above Mr. Morgridge. It was a
seat which he had inherited from his uncle. Solomon Mit, being a
contemplative man, was desirous of being lifted above ordinary things
when he pursued his meditations, and had accordingly built a sort of
watch-tower out of several boxes, placed one upon another, and topped by
an arm-chair, deprived of its legs. Into this chair Solomon used to
climb, and when there, his head was not far from the ceiling. Here he
would sit in his lofty station, and wrapped in the smoke from his own
pipe, would revolve in his mind various questions, occasionally dropping
from the clouds a remark to his partner, who sat snuffing below on the
bench. Customers, when they entered the shop, had become used to the
sight of the little man's legs as t