The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-11-07
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THE RING OF THOTH.

Mr.. John Vansittart Smith, +. r. s., o.
liza Cover street, was n man whose en-
ergy of purpose and clearness of thought
might have placed him in the very first
rank of scientific observers. He was the
victim, however, Of universal ambition
which prompted him to aim at distinction
in many subjects rather than preeminence
in one In his early days he had shown
an aptitude for zoology and for botany,
which caused his friends to look upon him
as a second Darwin, but when professor.
ship was almost within his reach he had
suddenly discontinued his studies and
turned his whole attention to chemistry
Here his researches upon the spectra Of
the metals had won him his fellowship in
the Royal Society, but again he played the
coquette with his subject, and after a
years absence from the laboratory he
Joined the Oriental Society and delivered
a paper on the Hieroglyphic and Demotic
inscriptions of Ell Kab, thus giving a
crowning example both of the versatility
and of the Inconsistency of his talents.
The most tickle of wooers, however, is
apt to be caught at last, and so it was with
John Vansittart Smith The more he bur
rowed his way into Egyptology the more
impressed he became by the vast field
which it opened to the inquirer, and by
the extreme importance of a subject which
promised to throw light upon the first
germs of human civilization and the origin
of the greater part of our arts and sciences.
So struck was Mr. Smith that he straight
way married an Psychological young lady
who had written upon the sixth dynasty,
and having thus secured a sound base of
operations, he set himself to collect mate
rials for work which should unite the
research of Lepsius and the ingenuity of
Champolion. The preparation of this
magnum opus entailed many hurried visits
to the magnificent Egyptian collections of
the Louvre, upon the last of which, no
longer ago than the middle of last October,
he became involved in the most strange
and noteworthy adventure,
The train had been slow and the chan
mel had been rough, so that the student ar
rived in Paris in a somewhat befogged and
feverish condition. On reaching the Hotel
de France, in the Rue Lattice, he had
thrown himself upon sofa for couple of
hours, but, finding that he was unable to
sleep, he determined, in spite of his IA
tigue, to make his way to the Louvre, settle
the point which he had come to decide,
and take the evening train back to Dieppe.
Having come to this conclusion, he donned
his great coat, for it was raw, rainy day,
and made his way across the Boulevard des
Italiens and down the Avenue de r0pera.
Once in the Louvre he was on familiar
ground, and he speedily made his way to
the collection of papyri which it was his
intention to consult.
The warmest admirers of John Vansit-
tart Smith could hardly claim for him that
he was handsome man. His high-beaked
nose and prominent chin had something of
the same acute and incisive character
which distinguished his intellect He held
his head in bird-like fashion, and bird
like, too, was the pecking motion with
which, in conversation, he threw out his
objections and retorts. As he stood, with
the high collar of his great coat raised to
his ears, he might have seen from the re-
Election in the glass case before him that
his appearance was singular one. Yet it
came upon him as a sudden jar when an
English voice behind him exclaimed in very
audible tones, "What queer-looking
mortal.
The student had large amount of petty
vanity in his composition, which mani
tested itself by an ostentatious and over
done disregard of all personal considera-
tions. He Strengthened his lips and looked
rigidly at the roll of papyrus, while his
heart filled with bitterness against the
whole race of. travelling Britons
ayes, said another voice, "he really is
an extraordinary fellow
"Do you know" said the first speaker,
cone could almost believe that by the con-
tinual contemplation of mummies the
chap has become half mummy himself" :"
'iHe has certainly an Egyptian cast of
countenance," said the other
John yansittart Smith spun round upon
his heel with the intention of shaming his
countrymen by corrosive remark or two.
To his surprise and relief the two young
fellows who had been conversing had their
shoulders turned toward him, and were
gazing at one of the Louvre attendants
who was polishing some brass work at the
other side of the room.
"Carter will be waiting for us at the
Palais Royal, said one tourist to the other,
glancing at his watch, and they clattered
away, leaving the student to his labors.
"I wonder what these chatterers call an
Egyptian cast of countenance," thought
John Vansittart Smith, and he moved his
position slightly in order to catch glimpse
of the mans face. He started as his eyes
fell upon it. 1t was indeed the very face
with which his studies had made him
familiar. The regular statuesque features,
broad brow, well rounded chin and dusky
complexion were the exact counterpart of
the innumerable statues, mummy cases
and pictures which adorned the walls of
the apartment. The thing was beyond all
coincidence. The man must be an Egyp-
tian. The national angularity of the shoul-
ders and narrowness of the hips were alone
sufficient to identify him.
John Vansittart Smith shuffied toward
the attendant with some intention of ad-
dressing him. He was not light of touch
in conversation, and found it difficult to
strike the happy mean between brusque-