It was no easy matter for Mr. Elmendorf to present the subject of Egypt in an article of only 2,500 words. He has confined himself in his characteristic interesting manner to the impressions of a traveler. Of the great store of archæological treasures in Egypt, the monuments, statues, tablets, tombs, inscriptions--in fact all that is comprehended under the name Egyptology--Mr. Elmendorf could say nothing. These are subjects for the historical student rather than for the traveler. And they will be taken up in turn in The Mentor of some later date when we will approach the subject of Egypt from the standpoint of the historical student. There is, however, one question that readers of Mr. Elmendorf's article are apt to ask--in fact ordinary curiosity would prompt the inquiry. The monuments of Egypt are covered with historic records in the form of inscriptions. These records are hieroglyphic. They are what some people call "picture writings." The natural question is "How were these hieroglyphics deciphered." The answer is interesting, and it seems to us that both question and answer belong in the number of The Mentor with Mr. Elmendorf's article. * * * * * The River Nile separates at its delta into two branches. The eastern stream enters the Mediterranean at Damietta. The western stream enters the great sea at Rosetta. It was near this latter town that an officer in Napoleon's army discovered, in August, 1799, the key to Egyptian hieroglyphics. It is called the Rosetta Stone, and it is now in the British Museum. * * * * * For years the hieroglyphic was an unknown language, and the history of Egypt, except such as is contained in the Bible, was a blind book. The Rosetta Stone was found to contain an inscription in three different languages--the Hieroglyphic, the Demotic, which was the common language of the Egyptians, and the Greek. When these inscriptions were examined, it was discovered that they were each a translation of the other. There, then, was the clue which opened up the whole field of Egyptian history. * * * * *