Japhet, in Search of a Father | Page 6

him immediately.
"I say, Japhet," said he, "where did you come from?"
"The Foundling," replied I.
"Then you have no friends or relations."
"If I have, I do not know where to find them," replied I, very gravely.
"Pooh! don't be grave upon it. I haven't any either. I was brought up by
the parish, in the workhouse. I was found at the door of a gentleman's
house, who sent me to the overseers--I was about a year old then. They
call me a foundling, but I don't care what they call me, so long as they
don't call me too late for dinner. Father and mother, whoever they were,
when they ran away from me, didn't run away with my appetite. I
wonder how long master means to play with his knife and fork. As for
Mr Brookes, what he eats wouldn't physic a snipe. What's your other
name, Japhet?"

"Newland."
"Newland--now you shall have mine in exchange: Timothy Oldmixon
at your service. They christened me after the workhouse pump, which
had 'Timothy Oldmixon fecit' on it; and the overseers thought it as
good a name to give me as any other; so I was christened after the
pump-maker with some of the pump water. As soon as I was big
enough, they employed me to pump all the water for the use of the
workhouse. I worked at my papa, as I called the pump, all day long.
Few sons worked their father more, or disliked him so much: and now,
Japhet, you see, from habit, I'm pumping you."
"You'll soon pump dry, then, for I've very little to tell you," replied I;
"but, tell me, what sort of a person is our master?"
"He's just what you see him, never alters, hardly ever out of humour,
and when he is, he is just as odd as ever. He very often threatens me,
but I have never had a blow yet, although Mr Brookes has complained
once or twice."
"But surely Mr Brookes is not cross?"
"No, he is a very good gentleman; but sometimes I carry on my rigs a
little too far, I must say that. For as Mr Brookes says, people may die
for want of the medicines, because I put down my basket to play. It's
very true; but I can't give up 'peg in the ring' on that account. But then I
only get a box of the ear from Mr Brookes, and that goes for nothing.
Mr Cophagus shakes his stick, and says, 'Bad boy--big
stick--_um_--won't forget--next time--and so on,'" continued Timothy,
laughing; "and it is so on, to the end of the chapter."
By this time Mr Cophagus and his assistant had finished their dinner,
and came into the shop. The former looked at me, put his stick to his
nose, "Little boys--always hungry--um--like good dinner--roast
beef--Yorkshire pudding--and so on," and he pointed with the stick to
the back parlour. Timothy and I understood him very well this time: we
went into the parlour, when the housekeeper sat down with us and
helped us. She was a terribly cross, little old woman, but as honest as

she was cross, which is all that I shall say in her favour. Timothy was
no favourite, because he had such a good appetite; and it appeared that
I was not very likely to stand well in her good opinion, for I also ate a
great deal, and every extra mouthful I took I sank in her estimation, till
I was nearly at the zero, where Timothy had long been for the same
offence; but Mr Cophagus would not allow her to stint him, saying,
"Little boys must eat--or won't grow--and so on."
I soon found out that we were not only well fed, but in every other
point well treated, and I was very comfortable and happy. Mr Brookes
instructed me in the art of labelling and tying up, and in a very short
time I was very expert; and as Timothy predicted, the rudiments were
once more handed over to him. Mr Cophagus supplied me with good
clothes, 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