New-York tribune., 1915-03-13

came the steadfast. unobtrusiVe hc'p
moot of her husband. As the yeaIo
n.ssoJ she shrank more and more from
nublicitv of any description. TO DC
l,ooJ wife and mother IL the highest
nrivilege Of a woman" IS a saying NJ
,ributcd 10 her. She Stunned all so
c;e,y gatherings. became Baptist that
ebo NIGHT worship with her husband,
~ ,,nst of the houscwork herself, ana
,yhen her children came they were her
,yorld. and she longed for no other.
Feu except her relatives and a mar
row circle of friends knew Mrs. kocke-
fcIler. As her husbands wealth IN
creased and he became more ana NOR
of national figure she withdre" even
further from the world. When VI
Rockefeller purchased modest dwell
ing on Euclid Avenue, cleveland n'.e
Of millions" his wife continued 20
avoid social functions. Here she reared
her four children. A fifth died IN IN
fancy.
devoted TO Her Husband.
In spi,e Of the rapidly increasing
wooIth OF her husband. the wite re
mained the simple woman he had mar
ricd The regulations of the house on
Euclid Avenue were rs simple and un-
rrotentious as in the earlier home.
Mrs. Rockefeller never cared iot
money for moneys sake. Nor were her
children brought up IN the luxury at
tributed generally TO the ofsprlbg OF
miIlionaires. The rules for their tram
ing were stern and almost spartan III
heir simplicity. A horse and carriage
enc man and two maids were the per-
sonnel of the establishment. The car
riage was rarely used except for the
two Sabbath trips TO church.
Mrs. Rockefeller's devotion 10 her
husband was proverbial among thoSe
who knew her. It is told OF her thaI
after particularly bitter attack by
Cleveland paper, when 1t was oeleFeu
her husbands life was IN danger she
insisted upon accompanying MIN 10
church. although she was far from wei
at the time.
"If anything happens to you, sne
said whom he protested against her
venturing out, 81 want IL to happen 10
me, too
OF her children three are living
her youngest child and only SON. John
D. Rockefeller, jr., and two daughters,
Alta. wife Of E. Parmalee Prentice, ana
Edith. who married Harold Fowler NC
Cormick. Her eldest daughter, Bessie
married Professor Charles A; Strong
and died in France in 1906. Her sec
ond child, Alice, died III infancy.
Influenced John D.'s Career.
Mrs. Rockefeller, far more than most
wives. Influenced her husbands career.
She guided him in all the crises OF MS
life; vet her influence was silent ana
unobtrusivc. according TO his friends
and only their most intimate acqualht-
ances knew OF his dependence upon ner.
"The secret of this influence SAID
a near friend Yesterday, was her
extraordinary spirituality OF mind. Sne
was y woman of the old school, mod
est. unassumng, fearless IN saying
what she thought vas right and llVlns
ND to it., full Of sweetness and lignt.
There was nothing modern about her'
no trace Of vulgsrity or self-assertive-
ness.
"AlI these qualities. especially her
kindlincss and Difference for others
were reflected in the rectltude OF her
Judgment, which her friends, as well
a. her husband and her son, came to
rolv upon to an extraordinary extent.
Their affection for her was some
times almost pathetic. / remember
their spending large part OF the day
at Pocantico once planning the corner
of the garden where she was to have
her arbor. studying the situation from
overy point. 10 be sure she would nave
the most sunlight and be sheltered
from the wind.
Gracious and Refined.
The depth and sincerity of her re-
ligion. according to another 1rlehd,
was her most pronounced quality.
"She was not merely interested IN
religion, as so many women now are or
pretend to be-" said this friend. she
was deeply religious. Her tavorite book
was the Bible, especially the New les
lament. i'm which she preferred the
Gospel of John.
"Shc had Of late years been an IN
valid. and was wheeled about her gar
den that she might be near her flowers,
of which she was extraordinarily fond,
csoecially in her last years. She was
simple IN her tastes, never wearing
elaborate Jewels or dress. In her read
ing, too. she preferred substantial
rather than light or entertaining works.
Her influence on Mr.. Rockefeller?
Those who knew her best all agree that
she was powerful factor In his fort
unes and that he put very great trust
in her judgment. He and his son often
planned together as to some way IN
which they could give her pleasure.
Above all things, she was Chris
tian woman, utterly unworldly, lady