The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27
A WOMAN EGYPTOLOGIST
BECAME THE FOREMOST OF AMER
ICAN STUDENTS IN TWO YEARS.
An Intuitive Understanding of the
Ancient Lore of Egypt That Is
Now PuzzIinE the Experts.
New York Press.

New York Press.
Mrs. Marie N Buchanan, an unassuming
little New England woman was teaching
class of boys in Sunday school one day
when the subject of the Egyptian influence
upon the Israelites was taken up. At once
she felt an awakened interest in the lesson
that seemed strange to her. She grew en-
thusiastc at the thought of the rich life
of the people who lived along the banks of
the Nile ages ago and left such enduring
witnesses of their skill and art for the in
struction and enjoyment of the nations
that were yet to be born. The grandeur
Of their civilization and the sublimity of
their history touched her as nothing ever
had before. She announced to her class
that they would take up the subject for
further study the coming Sunday, and dur
ing the week she read everything she could
concerning the Egyptians, feeling all the
time that it was strangely familiar to her,
although she knew that she was reading
it for the first time. Sunday after Sunday,
whatever the formal topic of the lesson
might be, something of the lore of Egypt
would creep in, and the boys in Mrs. Buck
mans class gained a wider and deeper
knowledge of ancient history than is usual
in the coming of the routine Ole Tesla
ment Sunday school lessons.
That was the starting point from which
she developed with rapidity little short of
marvellous into the foremost woman Egyp-
tologist in America, a position which she
holds to-day. She soon relinquished all pur-
suits save those which pertained to her
study and researches in Egyptology. She
economical in everything else that she
might have money to buy books on this
subject, and every book dealer in Boston
soon knew of her taste and notified her
when he ran across anything bearing upon
the history of Egypt. The Egyptian de-
partment of the Boston Art Museum be-
came her favorite resort Hour after hour
she would spend in such absorbed examina-
ton of the collected treasures there that
warning that the building was about to be
closed. She obtained special privileges for
carrying on her studies from the museum
authorities, and gradually established
semi-official connection with the depart
ment, frequently acting as cicerone for Wis
itorS and compiling data, which will be used
i'm the future in a complete catalogue of this
section which it is proposed TO publish.
All through the summer, when most peo-
pie were out of town on their vacation,
Mrs. Buchanan took advantage of the com
parative desertion of the museum to carry
on her Investigations more infinitely and
thoroughly, and crouching at the base OF
some great monument, or climbing by a
ladder to it's summit, she devoted herself
with zeal that never tired to deciphering
half obliterated inscriptions until she had
succeeded in interpreting their meaning.
From deSultory talks about the relics and
specimens. she began to give the more
formal and technical lectures which are
now q feature of her work at the museum.
Last year the course attracted much at
tention, and the fees received for it We're
contributed to a fund raised by Americans
for the preservation of the mural scenes
and texts in the temple of HatsbepSe (the
Queen Elizabeth of Egypt at Deir-el-
Bahari.
In an almost incredibly short time after
Mrs Buchanan had first followed the chill
dren of Israel into Egypt she was really
to measure swords with the most erudite
Egyptian scholars OF the present day. Her
studies and Investigations brought her in
contact with DR.. William Copley Winslow
and Dr. Charles H. S. Davis, as we'll as
with famous Psychologists abroad, all Of
whom treated her opinions with the utmost
respect.
Certainly no woman, perhaps no man, In
this country has done is doing as much
practical and effective work in the cause of
Egyptology as she. About year ago she
was appointed the secretary for the United
States of the Egypt exploration fund, OF
which SIR John Fowler is president; Charles
Dudley Warner, honorary vice president,
and such men as Major General Sir Francis
Grenfell Sir E. Maunde Thompson, Sir j.
William Dawson, Professor w. NJ. f. Petrie
and Rev. Professor A. A. Sayce among the
other officers Her rooms were made the
headquarters OF the society for this coun-
try, and here she writes scores OF letters
daily, sends out literature and tranSacts