Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.

whiteness. A receding and almost undeveloped chin added to his bird-like aspect. Exceedingly thin, with rounded and almost hump-like shoulders, grasping the papyrus with long lean fingers that looked like talons more than human hands, his shadow, projected by the firelight, was an exact counterpart of the bird of wisdom. His age might have been fifty years, but he could have passed for a man of seventy. Attired in a dressing- gown of black velvet, with a quilted satin lining ap- parent at the wristbands and collar; his pantaloons, visible uucler the table, were lavender colored; while, covering his really small feet, were red silk stockings encased in patent leather slippers. The last stroke of the chimes had scarcely died away, when the cat arose, and, stretching its body in the usual feline manner, looked around for a moment, then, with a gentle purr, approached its master's chair. This move- ment, on the part of his pet, did not seem to disturb the doctor, for he still continued to pore over the ancient document. After making a few caressing circles around the physician's legs in the evident hope of attracting at- tention—a hope that remained unrealized, the cat sud- denly sprang upon the table, and in performing this act of agility overturned the white skull, which fell to the floor with a sharp ominous crack. This secured the de- sired effect, for Doctor Paulus Androcydes looked up from the papyrus in evident surprise and dismay ; then, murmuring in an expostulating tone, " Why do you an- noy me, Anubis?" he moved back his chair, yawned, glanced at the ticking clock on the mantel, rose and walked to the window, which he opened. The cool air fanned his face, and seemed to revive and arouse the physician, for he yawned again like a person