The San Francisco call., 1905-03-25
Thrilling Music
Rings Through
Edifice.
Words Of Praise
From Muny
Pastors.

The services held in the Memorial
Church were deeply impressive. The
great stone sanctuary built for the
students by Mrs. Stanford in memory
of her husband, was crowded from
door to door by sympathetic friends,
faculty, students and alumni Long
before the doors opened the people be-
gan to gather in the corridors of the
quadrangle, and when the hour of serv-
ice came thousands of men and wo-
men were waiting in line. Reservations
in the church had been made for all
the personal friends of Mrs. Stanford
and for all those connected with the
university, but there was scant space
left for the general public. Within a
few minutes after opening the en-
frances were shut to visitors, all the
seats having been filled, leaving hum
dreds to be turned away.
Inside the church the congregation
was arranged in divisions. In the gall
leries sat the 1900 men and women
students of the university, the juniors
and sophomores to the right and the
seniors and freshmen to the left. The
front seats of the main floor were re-
served for the honorary and intimate
paIlbearers. Back of these were seated
the faculties of Stanford University
Then came the body of alumni from
this university and the representatives
from many organizations. Those of
the general public who were able to
obtain admittance were seated in the
west transept.
ARRIVE AT CHAPEL. !.
At half-past / o'clock the great bells
in the dome of the church were tolled.
They announced the hour of the fu-
neral service. A sudden hush fell upon
the solemn audience as the door of the
vestry opened and the little company
of seven ministers of the gospel, all
dressed in black flowing robes, filed
down the chancel steps and, marching
two by two, walked UP the center aisle
of the church. Bishop, Nichols led the
participating preachers, all of them in
innate friends of Mrs. Stanford. Slow
ly they paced to the open bronze doors
in front, there to receive the body and
small procession that had come with
it from the mansion. The congrega-
tion arose of one accord and remained
standing while the old white-haired or
ganist played Chopin's funeral march.
Softly at first, then rising gradually as
the funeral procession entered, the SOL
emn music of the great organ filled the
church The casket was carried for
ward and gently placed in the center of
the white marble chancel. Behind the
body marched the intimate pallbearers,
the board of trustees of the university
and many of the close friends of Mrs.
Stanford Then followed the relatives
and the members of the household.
| While the audience stood with heads
reverently bowed, Organist B. C.
Blodgett played the choral song. of
| Mendelssohn, and the choir of 100 stu
/ dent voices took up the strains and
softly sang:
| To thee O Lord. yield my spirit,
| Who brcatnes in love this mortal chain.
My life I but from thee inherit,
And death becomes my chiefest gain.
In thee live in thee die -
| Content. for Thou are ever nigh.
AT THE MARBLE ALTAR.
The funeral services were very sim
pie The casket containing the body
of Mrs. Stanford lay in the center o1
( the white marble chancel, resting or
a black mat. The afternoon sun shone
| through the wealth of stained glass
windows, rejecting its warmth on the
mosaics of the interior. which in turr
| reflected a halo of golden light around
| the bier. In front of the casket was
4 the great altar and on it a white
statue of the Virgin Mary looked sor.
! rowfully down upon the dead woman
1 who had been such a benefit to the
world
| Back of the altar were figures oi
/ the twelve apostles, seemingly ami.
mated by the soft rays of the after.
noon sun There was no profusion OF
| flowers anywhere in the church. The
| floral decorations were extremely sim.
| ple The casket was covered by a pal
| of violets and lilies of the valley, deli.
cately entwined with maidenhair ferns