344 
The  Night  Bell. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t    Aug.  1, 1873. 
commencement  in  business  we  should  endeavor  to  educate  ourselves 
to  accept  and  perform  every  duty  pertaining  to  our  vocation  with 
cheerfulness  and  alacrity.  By  persevering  in  such  efforts  we  will 
finally  establish  within  ourselves  a  bulwark  against  such  feelings. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  every  business  of  life  has  its  un- 
pleasant features ;  and  while  ours  has  its  full  share,  it  also  must  have 
corresponding  charms  for  its  votaries,  as  it  appears  that  when  a  man 
once  becomes  a  pharmacist  he  always  remains  one,  for  we  seldom 
see  him  quit  it  to  embark  in  any  other  business. 
While  we  are  gravely  and  lamentingly  contemplating  the  long 
hours  and  the  many  annoying  and  onerous  duties  of  our  business,  we 
can  gather  consolation  if  we  will  but  observe  the  labor  and  long  hours 
of  our  corner  grocer.  We  will  then  see  that  we  have  a  comparatively, 
easy  business.  He  is  on  his  feet,  hard  at  work,  all  day  long  ;  his 
store  is  open  as  late  at  night  as  ours,  and  in  the  morning,  while  we 
are  yet  slumbering,  he  is  by  daylight  at  his  post,  with  his  store  open 
and  business  in  full  blast,  selling  to  the  industrious  housewife,  from 
a  penny's  worth  of  wood  for  her  morning  fire  to  the  choicest  mackerel 
for  breakfast. 
I  have,  in  common  with  my  colleagues,  experienced  all  of  the  many 
annoying  features  of  the  night  business  in  all  their  multifarious  forms. 
Perhaps,  on  the  approach  of  day,  before  the  nightingale  has  ceased 
her  joyous  notes,  or  the  cock  has  raised  his  clarion  voice  to  greet  the 
first  faint  gleam  of  "  meek-eyed  Morn,"  a  pull  of  the  night  bell  or  a 
rap  at  the  door  may  awake  you  from  your  much-needed  morning  nap 
and  summon  you  to  your  post.  You,  a3  quickly  as  possible,  present 
yourself  at  the  door,  and  salute  your  premature  visitor  in  the  most 
agreeable  manner  consistent  with  your  inward  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings. Without  offering  any  apology  for  disturbing  you  at  such  an 
unseasonable  hour,  he,  perhaps,  with  the  greatest  sang-froid,  asks 
you  if  you  can  change  him  a  five  dollar  note,  or  says  that  he  will  take 
some  postage  stamps,  or  a  few  good  segars,  or  that  he  wishes  a  Seid- 
litz  powder,  or  other  equally  trifling  article  ;  or,  probably  he  may 
ask  you  if  you  know  where  Mr.  So  and  So  has  removed  to,  who  used 
to  live  in  this  neighborhood. 
This  is  not  an  overdrawn  picture  or  description  of  some  of  the 
scenes  which  occasionally  take  place  in  drug  stores.  Similar  in- 
stances have  occurred  in  my  own  experience.  People  guilty  of  such 
improprieties  usually  belong  to  tee  class  of  early  risers,  who  think 
