The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-04-16
A MEMORY OF
MRS. ROCKEFELLER
lBy William D. Unshaw.l

This announcement in the press dis
patches meant more to me personally
than it could mean to millions of
readers in America who simply re-
peated the sterotyped phrase, "The
wife of the richest man in the world
is dead"
The fact that l had met Mrs.
Rockefeller number of times in her
church life in New York and had
been the recipient of personal kind
ness at her hands, naturally left for
her an honored place in my thoughts
and heart.
Fifteen years ago | got to where
| could not sleep with my conscience
until l determined to turn aside
from my own school life at Mercer
University and try to open a way to
education for struggling boys by
establishing self-perpetrating loan
fund. l slipped away to New York
and spent six months there at my
own charges, trying to get nucleus
at least which would serve as a sort
of 'spring-board leap" for a win
ming campaign when | got back to
Georgia.
Usually twice a week | met Mrs
Rockefeller at the Fifth Avenue Bap-
fist Church, and often at the mid
week prayer meeting and sometimes
at the Young Peoples meeting she
would rise and give a beautiful tes-
timony of Christian faith, hope and
purpose. One evening l accepted an
invitation from Rev. Mr.. Richardson
the genial, Warm-hearted acting pas
tor, to address the Young Peoples
meeting. | remember that my sub
ject was principal and Interest, or
Gods Call to us to Make the Most
Possible out of our Life"
After the service Mrs Rockefeller
and her son, John d. Rockefeller, Jr.,
(then an unmarried young man with
refreshing simplicity and lack of dis
play) came up and greeted me cor
daily, expressing generous apprecia-
ton of the message. 81 have your
book in my home" said Mrs. Rookie
Teller, your volume of poems and
sketches written while you were on
bed for years, and have read it with a
great deal of interest l am glad tc
meet the author. Some time after
that when | was trying to help strug-
Cling girls at Bessie Tiff College
sent her picture Of the group OF
girls to whom l was trying to be a
brother. | sent no letter-just the
printed statement about the work
Pretty soon | received a check from
Mrs. Rockefeller, with a delightful
letter, saying she was glad to have
part in such far-reaching work al
the Christian education of girls.
A few weeks later | saw her again
at her church and she came up smil.
ing and said: 81 was glad to get
that beautiful picture of the girls
you are educating"
"And | was glad to get that check
in their behalf" l answered.
well" she said, II liked the way
you did it. There was no pressure.
That gave me a new angle from
which to understand and sympathize
with really good people of large
wealth. They are in the current Of
SO many demands when honest build.
ers of civilization are wrestling
with great problems feeling that they
must appeal or die, or let their cause
suffer unto death, that it must be tC
wealthy people like Seth Low ex.
pressed it when | talked to him al
Columbia University, "The constant
beating of the waves upon tbs
shore"
Anyway, / suppose the muc]
sought keepers Of wealth who have
4 "regnant conscience" as George
Foster Peabody put it, much enjoy
the absence Of pressure"
IN gentleness and sweetness Of
manner, in the absence of anythine
Ike display, in Astounding common
sense and in the complication oi
wCmanly Ideals and religious devo
ton, Mrs. Rockefeller gave to hel
children and the Unlocking world an
Inspiring example which will be Felt
For good through generations yet
y born
thank God for the privilege q
having touched the beautiful life 81
such a noble Christian wODan. Th'