Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-09

and during the week she read everything
she could concerning the Egyptians, feeling
all the time that it was strangely familiar
&c her. although she knew that she was
reading II for the first time.
Sunday after Sunday whatever the for
NAL topic of the lesson might be, something
of the lore of Egypt would creep in, and
the boys in Mrs. class gained a
wider and deeper knowledge of the ancient
history than is usal in the coming of the
routine Old Testament Sunday school les
sons.
Her First Steps.
That was the starting point from which
she developed with a rapidity little short of
ologist in America. a position which she
holds to-day She soon relinquished all
pursuits 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 department of the Boston
Art Museum became her favorite resort.
Hour after hour she would spend in such
absorbed examination of the collected treas
ures there that the attendant would have
to repeat his warning that the building was
about to be closed. She obtained special
privileges for carrying on her studies from
the museum authorities, and gradually es-
tablished a semi-oficial connection with
the department. frequently acting as
cicerone for visitors and compiling data.
which will be used in the future in a com
plete catalogue of this section, which II is
proposed to publish.
Her Work in the Museum.
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 n lad
der to its summit, she devoted herself with
q zeal that never tired TO deciphering half
obliterated inscriptions until she had sue
ceeded 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 a feature of her work at the museum.
Last year the course attracted much at
tention. and the fees received for it were
contributed to a fund raised by Americans
for the preservation of the mural scenes
and text IN the temple of Hatsbeqse uhe
Bahari.
What She Has Done.
In an almost incredibly short time after
Mrs. Buchanan had first followed the chill
dren of Israel into Egypt she was ready
to measure swords with the most erudite
Egyptian scholars of the present day. Her
studies and Investigations brought her in
contact with pr. William Copley Winslow
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 or is doing as much
practical and effective work in the cause Of
Egyptology as she. About a 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
Crenfel, Sir +. Maunde Thompson, Sir j.
William Dawson, Professor w. NJ. Petrie
and Rev. Professor A. A. Sayce among the
nftlTn IInr nnya A.
headquarters of the society for this coun-
try: and here she writes scores of letters
caily, sends out literature and transacts
other business connected with the fund
whose membership In the United States is
now almost a thousand.
She has also assumed the control OF
Biblia. the official organ of the fund. and
or other societies organized for Oriental
research. With all of these official duties
she finds time TO write extensively on the
work of exploration being carried on by
the society.
Mrs. Buchanan is as Oriental In her per-
sonal appearance as in her mental trend.
md the art students in the museus MOTTO
Ing her. a pale, spirit-like creature, with
dark eyes In which mystery seemed to
DWELL named her the re~incarnated Egyptian
had seen her photograph in another CITY
wrote for permission to use It for the Egyp-
tan, princess in a picture that he was at
work on.
She is not a learned woman in the or
binary sense of the term. She was never
drilled in the classics and no outside infu-
ence was brought to bear upon her to turn
her mind in this direction. II was n natural
and almost Irresistible impulse, for which