South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-23
Tea Table Taiks
POUR THOUSAND FIVE HUN
DRIED YEARS IN MODERN SIT

BY May DE Witt Talmage

Al-NNs
We wandered into the Metropolitan
museum 20 look al the (. 5O0-year-old
tomb of an Egyptian dignitary
which has just been re-erected in
New YORK
AS we approached the tomb it was
easy TO imagine oneself on the des-
erts Of Egypt. The powerful light
from the yellow electric lights made
one feel that the tomb was bathed
in Egyptian sunshine. We were
greeted as was the ancient visitor
10 Pernebs tomb by the figure Of
the great man carved in low relief
and representing him in the full
dress Of an Egyptian OF high rank.
1 stood a moment in contempla
ton OF the wonders that have hap
pened since ne was buried in that
tomb $500 years ago. II made me
dizzy TO think Of il, l was brought
back 10 the present by a group Of
small boys who were listening at
tentively TO a young girl in the en-
ploy of the bureau Of education. The
eager upturned faces were drinking
in all that she had to tell them Of
how this tomb had been discovered
in 1913. and was purchased by the
Metropolitan museum and shipped
TO New York.
Great trouble had been taken TO
remove the sand, the accommodations
Of centuries, which covered it. The
blocks with their sculptured or
painted faces were wrapped in it's
sue paper and cotton and held firm
ly in place by bandaging, and were
carried on camers backs to the mu-
scum in Cairo. Those that were too
heavy for the camels were loaded
on train of 10 fiat cars especially
adapted to the purpose. For year
the blocks went through a process
for the preservation of the stone
and the color on the painted reliefs
then they were shipped TO this
country. In August the re-erectiOn
of the tomb was begun. 1t was fin
ished in February, 1916.
Looking at those boys with their
school books under their arms lis
tening to that story l was struck
with the fact that although they
were American school boys, so few
Of them had American faces. 1t
was a group of all nationalities that
were studying that tomb of Perneb.
sole companion of the king and lord
Chamberlain, as the Intel stone over
the doro told us.
Standing for a moment on the
steps of the museum before / left,
4 fhnrnht hn1iax-a1 IN, tho
time of Perneb that the departed
walked forth from the tomb to re-
visit familiar haunts as freely as IN
life they had gone in and out OF
their earthly homes"
Suppose Perneb could stand on
those steps dressed in his costume
of a kilt of white linen reaching
barely 10 his knees. with his san
dals on his feet, a wig covering the
ears and extending down to his
shoulders. a short beard on the chin,
and with precious beads strung
about his neck ard waist Imagine,
| instead of the desert with its yell
low sands, his being confronted
with high stone houses. a green
| Fifth av. bus, a group of boy scouts
hurrying along with banners flying
a Salvation army men bent on some
errand of mercy a woman wrapped
in a long loose fur coat that COW
cred her completely even her ears.
with a smart fur turban covering
her head until from the back she
looked like some kind of an animal.
There was nothing human about
| her except her feet. which were
covered with white kid boots.
Oh. we could give him some sur
prises Of he himself could come to
America in the goth century But
/ let US be thankful for his sake that
he cannot come, and that we have
| only the most imposing monument
/ that has come to any museum from
! Egypt