So equipped, the boss conducted the seminary through his Museum of Marvels, educating and edifying the pupils, first with the astonishing mathematical calculations of Ephraim, the educated pig, then with Madame Marve's amazing acts of mysticism and legerdemain.
The Living Skeleton was described as a unique freak of nature--"Teaching us all how wise and wonderlul are the workings of Providence," said the Professor, piously.

"He is thin, ladies, but very--happy," he added.
This was Bonypart's cue to work off a long, wan smile, and he smiled accordingly.

The effort so worked on the feelings of one of the younger pupils that she burst into tears, and offered the bone man her piece of cake.
Matty Cann looked eager, but the Professor smartly intervened.
"Excuse me, young lady," he said suavely, "but visitors are requested not to feed the Living Skeleton.

Living Skeletons are very delicately organised, madame," he continued, addressing the teacher.

"A dry biscuit has been known to throw them into violent dyspepsia and they have died of a rump steak." Bonypart groaned audibly and recovering himself, made another effort to smile, but failed, and sighed hungrily, whereat the younger pupil broke into a dismal wail, and had to be taken out and soothed with lemonade.
The fine collection of natural curiosities, illustrating the descent of man, was reserved for the last, and Professor Thunder proudly arrayed his company before the cages containing the tiny apes, the middling-sized gibbons, the baboon, Ammonia, the gorilla, and Mahdi, the man-monkey, or Missing Link.
The young ladies were quite enthusiastic in their admiration.