530 
BTUDY. 
that  what  man  has  done,  man  may  do.  Physic  has  not  the  con- 
tracting influence  you  imagine.  An  assistant  like  yourself, 
while  in  a  suburban  district,  managed  to  become  as  brilliant  in 
literature  as  he  now  is  high  in  law,  and  it  needs  some  self-denial, 
on  the  part  of  the  writer,  to  refrain  from  citing  endless  instances. 
So  much  for  intellect.  Infinitely  more  to  the  purpose  it  is  to 
know,  that  those  who  never  left  their  original  calling,  succeeded 
in  it  with  no  greater  advantages  than  you  possess.  The  names 
best  known  are  the  most  appropriate  illustrations,  though 
personal  mention  would  be  both  invidious  and  indelicate.  All 
first-class  Chemists'  establishments  are  now  so  interwoven  and 
associated  with  daily  city  life,  that  each  separate  firm,  with  its 
owner  and  reputation,  seems  part  of  the  current  course  of  events. 
But  there  was  a  time  when  these  very  houses  were  not  in  existence. 
Their  directors  were  hard-working,  persevering,  determined 
assistants,  with  not  a  tithe  of  the  advantages  of  the  present 
day.  Education  had  to  be  dug  up.  The  scanty  Latin  of  their 
youth  was  mystified  in  an  unintelligible  grammar,  which  has 
only  been  swept  away  within  the  last  few  years.  Greek  was 
considered  a  language  well  adapted  to  the  Athenians,  and  an 
austere  schoolmaster  who  taught  for  his  salary,  was  not  likely  to 
awaken  a  strong  interest  in  general  knowledge.  After  this 
pleasant  commencement,  the  young  beginner  was  apprenticed  to 
a  Chemist,  because  his  parents  thought  it  such  a  nice  clean  busi- 
ness ;  accordingly,  the  Tyro  found  himself  immediately  smothered 
up  to  his  eyes  in  white,  red,  and  blue  paint,  not  unlike  the 
clown  at  Astley's,  happy  to  present  himself  to  society,  not  too 
redolent  of  varnish,  and,  having  escaped  the  oil- can  on  the  one 
side,  and  the  black-lead  on  the  other,  allow  a  comprehensive 
apron  to  cover  all  deficiencies  for  seven  long  years.  He  then 
came  to  London.  No  institution  taught  him  anything,  no  good 
and  cheap  books  instructed  him.  There  were  museums  for 
surgery,  anatomy,  and  geology,  but  none  for  him ;  there  was 
less  time  than  there  now  is,  and  rougher  work.  What  then  ? 
The  battle  of  life  was  before  him,  and  he  won  it.  Success, 
almost  barricaded,  was  carried  by  assault.  Fame  was  not  an 
heirloom  in  the  family,  it  was  gained  slowly  but  surely.  The 
shop,  though  draughty  enough  in  all  conscience,  was  never 
favored  by  some  special  gale  from  heaven  which  swept  in  the 
