of oral instruction."

"There is no great elocutionist at the present day," said Mrs.
Widesworth with pious regret.

"And little could we profit by him, if there were," rejoined the
Principal of the Wrexford Academy. "For, in the present excited
condition of our river-towns, men do not strive to copy the moderate
virtues of the Ancients, but only to exaggerate their heathenish
extispicy."

"Ah, very true, very true," sighed Mrs. Widesworth; "only I forget what
that last word means."

"Extispicy," defined the Professor, "is properly the observation of
entrails and divination thereby."

"Yet more is to be learned from bones," said Dr. Dastick, decidedly. "I
hold that the performances of Cuvier alone are conclusive upon that
point."

Colonel Prowley looked doubtful: it would hardly do to question thus
lightly the wisdom of Antiquity.

Here Professor Owlsdarck experienced a queer twitching about the corners
of his mouth,--an affection which since his poetical address before the
Wrexford Trustees had occasionally troubled him.

"At any rate, Colonel," he observed, "we can agree, that, whatever
amount of wisdom the Ancients may have shown in observing the digestive