# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Februar 1864_S54
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

54 How and Why Dr. Seyffarth Is So Angry.

— what all the scholars of Germany, indeed all the universities of Europe, could not see, that Dr. Stohlmann of New York saw, and he declared Seyffarth to be the greatest scholar now living, the incomparable master of the Coptic language, the unrivaled researcher in astronomy, the profoundest fathomer of the Egyptian language and its mysteries, the true Columbus of chronology. Every issue of the “Luth. Herold” was a blaring trumpet-blast in Seyffarth's honor. A regular stirring of minds arose. Here, here in America at last the astonished world recognized what it had in the Egyptian professor. How remarkable, that it should be given to a German congregation, together with its pastor, to draw the pearl out of the dust! Professor Seyffarth held lecture after lecture before the congregation, and the congregation was a grateful audience. People marveled, people recognized, people grasped, people understood what all the scholars of Europe had failed to recognize and grasp — namely, that Professor Seyffarth, as already said, was the greatest scholar of the nineteenth century. For which of all these hearers understood Egyptian, Coptic, and astronomy? Not one of them! Must not, then, Professor Seyffarth be the most learned of all scholars? So the long-misjudged man felt happy and content. From New York the triumphal procession went to Columbus, where both — the newly discovered great Egyptian and his discoverer — were crowned with the doctor's dignity. From there the procession moved on to St. Louis, but alas, alas, the triumphing did not want to go quite so well among the Missourians. To be sure, he was received very kindly and courteously; people were also glad of his help at the College, since he gave instruction there in a few minor subjects. But his chronological and Egyptian matters were listened to only calmly, and more as a curiosity than anything else. The ecstasy was lacking. Some doubts were even voiced aloud, though people spared him as a good old man. Indeed, people tried as much as possible to make his stay in the synod pleasant and agreeable to his feelings. Wherever the opportunity presented itself, at synods and conferences, congregations were induced to request Egyptian lectures, for people well noticed that he quite liked doing it, and satisfied — even at times admiring — audiences, especially among the country folk, did indeed come about. Yet somehow it lacked real edge. Compared with the enthusiastic, ardent New York, St. Louis in particular was a sober, unpleasant place to stay. Evidently people here did not know how to appreciate such a scholar. Did not New York at once begin to burn, the moment the professor's foot barely touched the city — was he not then entitled to hope that St. Louis, during his longer stay there, would at least go up in raging flames? Instead of that it only smoldered, and even the smoldering grew weaker from day to day. Was that to be borne? No, that was not to be borne! The Doctor felt himself deeply wounded, he saw himself deceived, his worth unrecognized; the thermometer of his love and attachment sank ever lower and lower, down to the freezing—