Japhet, in Search of a Father

aving little or no principle of my own-I begin to puzzle my

as mixing the prescriptions, that I might avoid taking any of those which were poisonous. Mr Brookes, pleased with my continual inquiries, gave me all the information I could desire

n one evening, and asked whether we had such a thing as was called "A poor man's plaister. By the powers, it will be a poor man's plaister when it belongs to me; but they tell me that it is a sure and sartain cure for the thumbago, as they call it, which I've at the sm

ster, and Timothy, handing one to me, I proffered it to him.

ch, when spread on paper, so I asked him eightee

plaister, instead of the poor one's. It's less whiskey I'll have to drink, anyhow; but h

und himself in a condition not be envied. It was a week before we saw him again, and much to the horror of Timothy and myself, he walked into the shop when Mr Brookes was employed behind the counte

e me here for my back, and it left me as raw as a turnip, taking every bit of my skin

plying you with a plaister, my

ollect it, I've an idea that I shall never forget it. Sure en

r shop," observed Mr Brookes

n selling me the plaister. Didn't I

out of this shop wi

und the shop. "Well, then, if this a'

" called

y call the other by the name; however, it's no matter, if it took off the

de our appearance. "Japhet, did y

t, last Saturday? and I

but what did

ipsy. I showed him a blister, and he took i

Brookes. "I see what you have been abou

blew over, and it made me very careful; and, as every day I knew more about medicines, I was soon able to mix them, so as to be of service to those who applied, and before eighteen months had expir

g boy, from the peculiarity of my skin and complexion; my teeth were small, but were transparent, and I had a very deep dimple in my chin. Like all embryo apothecaries, I carried in my appearance, if not the look of wisdom, most certainly that of self-sufficiency, which does equally well with the world in general. My forehead was smooth, and very white, and my dark locks were combed back systematically, and with a regularity that said, as plainly as hair coul

th epithet of drug; a book in which Latin words were redundant, and here and there were to be observed the crabbed characters of Greek. Altogether, with my book and my look, I cut such a truly medical appearance, that even the most guarded would not have hesitated to allow me the sole cond

who came to consult, or talk with, Mr Cophagus. "A very fine looking lad that, Mr

k parlour, but I could overhear him, "father, um-can't tell-lov

could not, at my birth, have been paupers. The very peculiar circumstances attending my case, only made me more anxious to know my parentage. I was now old enough to be aware of the value of birth, and I was also just entering the age of romance, and many were the strange and absurd reveries in which I indulged. At one time I would cherish the idea that I was of a noble, if not princely birth, and frame reasons for concealment. At others-but it is useless to