Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-17
THEGAY DRUG CLERK
HIS LIFE NOT BY ANY MEANS ONE
OF UNALLOYED JOY.
A Few Minutes spent with the Medi-
cine Dispenser VIII Teach one Not
to Wonder That He Sometimes
Makes Snd Mistakes.

Few Minutes spent with the Medi-
cine Dispenser VIII Teach One Not
to Wonder That He Sometimes
Makes Sad Mistakes.
l dropped into a drugstore few days
ago to have prescription filled, and dur
ing the half hour had to wait | learned
a good deal of the joys that are crowded
into the life of busy drug clerk. The
first customer that came in was a middle
aged negro man, who sided up to the
counter in a timid, hesitnting manner.
When the clerk came from behind the
counter, the negro asked, as you got any
lettuce powdahW
Lettuce powderT repeated the clerk.
"Never heard of it. What do you want
it for?"
"Why, Use got pow'ful misery In de
stomach, sab, an yellow lady down de
street n piece she done tell me some let
tuce powdah would release it, sab, yes,
sah."
"Oh," said the clerk, you mean seid-
ltz powders, guess"
YES, sab; yes, sab; dat's it; dat's de
stuff. | disremimber de name. How
much is dey?"
| "Oh, can fix You up for dime"
well. gimme 10 cents with of 'em.
/ Curious | couldn't ricoleck de name.
KEEP a-telln myself de name all de way
| up de street too. My haid amt ben alto
gether right sense was sunstroke, sab. !"
The clerk handed him the powders and
the negro went slowly out, examining the
packets wonderingly. Two minutes later
he came shutting In again.
Does | hat to wet EN-, sab 2" he asked
the clerk.
Not unless you want to make n paste
Of them" said the clerk. use them &C
cording to the directions"
'Yes sab. Reason ! ask, cos | doan
want to get sick. | done swalered all de
white one an most of de cullud one, an
day feels pow'ful ridiculous down in my
insdes Is you sho dey doan requiah no
watah, sahY''
Then the clerk explained to him the
proper method Of taking the powders and
told of their action when mixed together
in water. The negro's eyes nearly fell
out.
"Gret land O. livin" he said. 81 done
come mighty close to de pale white hoss
dat time, sho. didn't I? Well, sab. dem
powdahs mte my throat right smah,
dry, sab, but dis niggah gwine to dc
without drinkin tonight suah."
A sharp featured woman came in al
this juncture to have a prescription filled
The prescription called for box Of pills
and when the clerk handed it to her az
said, "Seventy-fve cents, please"
"Seventy-fve cents"' she exclaimed
'Why, that's downright robbery! Any
how, I've only got so cents"
"Seventy-fve cents is the price. mad
am" said the clerk.
well, I'll give you the other % cent:
tomorrow" she said.
But we don't do business that way,
ventured the clerk
WHAT" she asked. "Why, I only liv,
down in the next block. You amt afraiC
I'm going to beat you out of your measl!
old quarterW
I'VE are not allowed to give credit,
repeated the clerk.
You're not. hey? Well, you can keel
your old medicine, that's what you cal
do. I've got plenty OF money AZ home
but III never come back after that box
You can keep it there till it rots.' Ant
out she founced, with an irate counte
nance.
\ moment later bareheaded youn.
woman STROBE into the store with fierce
look on her face and raped sharply oil
the showcase glass.
"Why didn't you send the prescription
over to the house?' she began. ia lik
= to know what you people mean, any
, how"
, Reg pardon" ventured the clerk
"What prescription was that
"Oh. you know very well what
mean" she interrupted. There it
there-that box Of pills behind the coun
hot do h,, .
trust my mother for 25 cents? Do 20
think you can insult decent people tina
way? Why, we've got money enough t
buy your dirty old skull and crossbone
shop ten times over. And here's my poo
| old father lying over there dying 70
want of that medicine You ought to
ashamed of yourself"
But, lady" expostulated the clerk, g
didn't know
"Oh, yes, you did. Don't tell me-
Mother told you everything about il
Why couldn't you send it over G. o. D
like she told you. if you were afraid O
your money!"
Pm very sorry that T.
"Oh. don't talk to me-" she snapped
"This is the first time I've ever bougl
anything in this place, and | promise 20
it will be the last. You'll lose my trade
;. The idea of treating good customers lik
a that! Gimme them pills"
She slammed rs cents on the counte
grabbed the pills and sailed away. lea'
ing the clerk so dazed that he rang Il
4 the quarter. put the half dollar in h
9 pocket and walked back to his worl
Y scratching his head medtatively.
z The next customer was boy about ]
, years old. He wanted n l cent postaR
, stamp and when he laid down his penn
, in exchange for it he asked for n pieC
of chewing gum. Upon being refused b
; stuck his tongue out at the clerk. yelle
i "Grouch. Crouch, grouchmeyer" seize
s the end of the roll of wrapping paper G
= the counter and dashed out with abol
IS yards of the paper trailing after him
t was sorry when my prescription VIZ
finally compounded and had to take m
:. leave. Before leaving | asked the cler
: if this experience was part of the dali
routine.
e Regular thing" he said. Now,
. you wonder that we sometimes get no
d, of the wrong bottle?"-St. Louis Repu