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

down chairs and an old dry goods box that served at once for a bureau and wash-stand, as was evident from the fact that the open lower portion contained a few neatly-folded bundles of patched clothing, while the top was adorned by a battered tin wash-basin and a cracked china pitcher. There was no carpet on the floor, which was, however, clean and white. The walls were covered by dozens of colored pictures from cheap illustrated periodicals. Over- head was a rough-plastered ceiling, the principal decora- tion of which was a large crack that permitted a view of the blue sky above. On a rickety and scantily-covered bed lay the ema- ciated shadow of what had once been a vigorous man. Standing at the side of the couch, with her cool hand on the feverish sufferer's brow, was a thin, wan woman, whose faded calico dress revealed the outlines of an almost per- fect form; her face was still beautiful, though pinched by hunger and sorrow, yet it lighted up with a pleasant smile as the sick man opened his eyes in response to her magnetic touch. Stooping over she kissed his pale fore- head, as he moaned in a low, weak voice: ''Another day of misery. Oh! Maggie, this is too hard ! Here I have been, a month to-day, lying helpless on my back, while you and baby are starving ! " She kissed him again, and patted him affectionately on the head; but the patient, gently pushing his wife aside, raised up in the bed and broke out in a violent fit of coughing. This spasmodic action lasted for several moments, growing more and more violent, until the larger veins in the sufferer's temples stood out like whip-cords, while his face grew purple from asphyxia; then,.with a mighty physical effort, he coughed up and expectorated several mouthfuls of mucus, and, with a sigh of relief, fell back on the pillow utterly