Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-16
BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY HELD
AT CEMETERY
Hundreds Of Friends Gather at Beau
tlful Chapel In Hollywood to
Honor Memory Of Mrs.
Eliza A. Otis

songs were over, and the magnificent
chime of bells, cast and hung in the
tower of the little chapel, had been
dedicated and named, one by one. And
forth from their consecrated throats
began to peal the first notes of that
beautiful hymn, Lead, Kindly Light"
Then It was that, as the sweet
cangor doomed out over the lovely
valley, a great flock of birds which
had been nesting in the mission tower,
startled by the clamor, swept forth,
and in great swinging circles swooped
out over the heads Of the multitude,
and on, across the rising terraces of
the City of the Dead straight upward
to the very dome of blue till they were
lost in the haze Of the empyrean.
So did those assembled see In this,
the only unprecedented feature of
beautiful and impressive ceremony an
allegory. It was as If the voices of
the bells had become personfed in the
BIRDS and as If released for the first
time from their brazen home they had
taken wings, in the sWeetly solemn
words of the hymn, and had sped up
ward to the very Throne Of Grace, to-
ward which the prayers before had
been directed.
Rightly was it interpreted as a good
sign, as symbol that the bells would
be beneicent and of holy import in
their future uses, and that the spirit
of her in whose honor and loving MEM
ory they were rung had itself taken
flight upward to the God who had
graciousy given her for all too short
spell to minister to those many friends
into whose life her own carols and
songs had brought joy and love and
beauty
Speak Words Of Cheer
The dedication of the chime of bells
in honor Of the late Mrs. Otis, wife of
General Harrison Gray Otis, was Il
ceremony OF singular beauty and eff
fectiveness. Devoid Of those usual fea-
lures of mournfulness and sorrow
which too often hedge about similar
affairs, it's dominant note was thank
fulness for the beautiful memory that
survived her and gratitude that she
had been long permitted to shed the
sunshine Of her presence here, and to
sing her songs Of hope and cheer and
delight.
Even as her writings always beamcd
with optimism and a certainty of u life
hereafter, so did these ceremonies
dwell on that strain rather than obsess
one with the sense Of bitter woe over
ber loss Regret there was of course.
that she had pa ssed herce, but mingled
with this sorrow was the stronger feel
ing that she had bat gone home, to that
home to which she was so we'll entitled
and for which she was so well pre-
pared
And thus it was that the voices of
those who spoke were of cheer rather
than of sorrow and the words they ut
tered were toward upift rather than
dominating with regret and painful
ness.
The chime of bells which the cere-
monies were designed to dedicate, were
secured through the medium Of the
Eliza A. Otis Memorial association, of
which Mrs Jefferson D. Gibbs is chair
man. The chimes were selected as
most fitting memorial and the order was
placed for them some time ago. They
were cast in Cincinnati and arrived
here last week. when they were hung,
and Tuesday they were tested.
Distinguished Throng Attends
Invitations for the formal dedication
ceremonies were extended generally,
and very numerously responded to, so
that the little cemetery was thronged.
Alongside the chapel was erected
platform for the speakers and men,
hers of the association, and thanking it
a series of seats for the Treble Clef
club, which sang. Facing the platform
were rows of temporary seats but they
were far too few for those who at
tended and hundreds stood throught-
mained in their carriages and automo-
biles. The Coiegrove cars were packed
for an hour before 2 o'clock and two
private cars We're required for the
special guests.
On the platform was table contain
ing large jar of deep red carnations
and profuSion of potted plants. Oc-
cupying chairs were the association
members and a distinguished company,
among whom were H. E. Huntington,
Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, M. H. Sher-
man, e. P. Clark, Paul de Longpre,
Francis Murphy. Rev. w. Horace Day,
Rev. H. K. Walker, Rev. Robert McIn-
tyre, Rev. Robert ]. Burdette, Rabbi
Voorsanger of San Francisco, Rabbi
Hecht and a score more, equally well
known
The ceremonies were impressive in
their very simplicity. Mrs. Gibbs.
president of the association, called
the throng's attention to their
purport, and Dr. Day, vice presi-
dent acted in the capacity of
chairman. DR.. Walker offered prayer
speaking especially for a blessing on
the bells and on her in whose memory
they were to pe rung The Treble Clef
club sang Schubert's "The Lord Is My
Shepherd" and Mr.. Burdette delivered
the oration.
Mr.. Burdette's speech was full of
yond repetition. Mrs. Otis was the
poetess of things that are," he de-
clared "She was also the seer of the
great things of the Creator" She sang,
he said, of the beauty of life because
of her great love of life and she made
all life sweet to those who listened.
"She heard the words, I am come that
We might have life, and that ye might
have 1t more abundantly,' and she held
out her heart as chalice that he might
fill 1t full" Because of her own full
ness of life, he said. she gave abundant
ly to others. All nature to her was an
open book and she found inspiration in
every phase of 1t, even the humblest.
Thus all nature found expression in
her verses. She was one of the few
who saw the coming dawn, even in the
midnight stars. She was always joy
GUS and so was her song; she sang as
one who loved life for it's goodness,
and she wanted others to do likewise.
He mentioned her love of California
as shown in the two score songs she
wrote of it; of her fondness for her
own city of Hollywood and its hills,
of the missions and all the phases of
life hereabouts, and very beautifully
he alluded to her death and the loss