Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-23

sAl-t liz Nltlh looh al tpliN VI iblAi tpii -
Anatomy of Melancholy and sat
down behind the cigar case TO read.
Presently a woman came in for stamps
with which to mail a bulky package.
II should think you'd be melancholy
enough sitting in here all night by
yourself without reading that thing"
she said. pointing to the book.
ION the contrary" sand he. tending
drug store at night is conducive IL al
most any feeling other than melan-
,holy. Indeed, it is rather Il hilarious
occupation. and I'm reading Burton 20
tone myself down. | much prefer
working nights To daytime because the
people with whom | come in contact
have character. The character may
be worn threadbarc sometimes, ana II
may contain flaws, but it is never COM
monplaCc, which is Weighty con-
sideration when comparing the adj
vantageS OF different positions. Most
= ople VINO patronize a drug store be
tween midnight and O'Clock like TO
hang around and talk a while. 50 the
question of an Interesting personality
has an important bearing on the
des.ra bility Of the SITUATION
What do YOU sell most Of during the
night" asked the stamp buyer.
Sleeping potions, said the clerk
promptly. You'd be surprised at the
ndrnber Of people that come in from
to 3 o'clock for n soothing draught or
powder Some of them stop on their
way homr from festivities. while
others. finding themselves unable to
sleep after going u bed. get up ana
gtr,.~ 10Th f,..,r
have several regular customers who
come in night after night IT Z certain
hour. [ asked one Of them once why
lie did not get prescription made up
and keep the medicine in his room, 50
he could take il when necessary with
out the trouble Of coming away dow n
re.e for spoonful Of soothing syrup.
"'I come here said he, because |
am afraid to keep the stuff at home
When | lived over in Brooklyn l kept
some kind OF drops in my room Tor use
whenever insomnia attacked me. One
night / took an overdose and like to
have never walked up an. since then
/ come cut after the stuff rather than
take chances On wooing eternal sleep.
! never questioned any of the others as
to tie cause of their midnight drug
buying, but l fancy | would find the
same reason holding good in the ma
jority Of cases.
The night clerk in drug store has
an opportunity to listen to IooG
many hard luck tales. In the day
time customers seldom ask for credit
but people who are driven to the oX-
tramity of taking medicine at night
seem to think that the drug stores
ought to encourage The habit by COM
pounding prescriptions free OF cost. In
many cases these appeals for help ar"
really sincere ana founded On genuine
distre. s. ana while I am not partic-
uldrly chicken hearted, | am sometimes
unable to resist the pathos Of the most
pitia bic cases. and if have the change
with me | mix the desired drugs ana
pay for them out Of my own pockrt. |
was not always SO humanely disposed.
however. ana Ill tell YOU the incident
that put me closely in touch with the
needy and afflicted. | was employed in
i store IN Third avenue then. 1t vas
my first position. ana as my college
expenses had been heavy, | had little
ready money to carry around with me
for relieving either my own wants or
those OF my neighhors. one night IN
the second month of my service n Wo-
man came rushing in about > o'clock
with prescription which she begged
me to fill at once.
:" i must tell YOU in the beginning,
she said, that haven't a cent Of
money TO pay you. but / do want the
medicine so badly. It is for my little
boy. There is something the matter
,,-;th l. &c !,
has been coming harder ana harder
since midnight. and I'm afraid he will
not last the night through The doe
tor left the prescription this evening.
but l couldn't get around to the dis
pensary before it closed. | thought
maybe | could get along till morning,
but I'm afraid to try it, seeing how
much worse he has get
The Woman's voice and manner
carried conviction. I had not a doubt
that she was telling the truth, but
could not see my way clear to help
her The man for whom | was work
ing was a typical miser | don't sup
pose he ever befriende a person in
his life and it hurt him to the quick for
anybody else to do kindly turn.
had no money Of my own to pay for
the medicine and | knew that if let
it go without payment the old gentle
men would find out about it first thing
in the morning and raise d row and
perhaps fire me---a contingency | could
i'll afford to court at that stage Of my
career, / told the woman | couldn't
give her the medicine, and explained
why. Her cry as she passed out Of the
door is one Of the memories that shall
carry with me to the grave. All night
IL rang in my ears, and as soon as
was released from duty next morning
| started out to look her up In the
beginning OF our conversation she mad
given me her name and address and |
had but little trouble in finding her.
TIE boy was dead.
" If he had had something to take
he might have pulled through, She
said. Still | don't know as he would
My common sense told me that all
the prescriptions IN the universe 'ould
| not have saved him. yet when | re-
member that had shut OF his one
possible chance for life I felt as If /
ought to he strung up as murderer,
and I've been trying to make amends
Ger since
The woman SMILED suGpicIously Il
wouldn't think" she said. that YOU
would have to take dips into the