Imperial Valley press., 1923-08-04
FUNERAL TR AIN
ON JOURNEY TO
CAPITAL CIT Y
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Francisco to the train, 10 run as
smoothly Us the dignity Of Mr..
Harding 5 widow and his country
men would have wished.
Through all the trying time since
she awQke from an exhausted dis
tuYhed sleep, into which she finally
sank after midnight tba might the
President died, Mrs. Harding "saw
it through > 1t was her calm self
control that made It possible for
the others to play their parts in the
hurried arrangements for departure
without having to worry about
how the President s widow would
act She herself directed the ar
rangcments for the funeral services
at the Palace hotel.
Her quiet thoughtfulness made
things wonderfully easy for those
who would have been considerate Of
her.
The doctors and nurses who at
tended her awakening marVellcd at
the will with which she came back
to the world, from which her hus-
band had suddenly been taken, and
arcse and dressed and set about the
necessary planning for the service.
Christian, Like Son
On the arm of George b. Christian,
who had been President Harding S
secretary, the late executives wife
entered the sunlit parlor where the
little party had gathered late yes
tcrday afternoon to pray a while for
their friend who lay in the simple
rosewood coffin with its draping Of
flags.
Mrs. Harding was in mourning,
but not an over-cmphasized mourn
ing, Just a simple black dress and
4 black hat with a wide brim Her
face was reposod She stood up
right while the clergyman S voice
went, oman that is born Of wom-
an. =
It was when the prayer began
THAT Mrs. Harding's emotion first
made itself visible; tears welled in
her eyes, but Christian slipped
quickly to her side and took her
hand and there was no break in the
service. \ minute later Mrs. Hard
ing had herself completely in CON
troll.
The secret of Mrs. Harding s
marvellous display Of thoughtfuluess
for others in her hour Of trial, and
of indemitable courage through
her grief, was pride in her husband,
friends said. Several times during
the day she went with women
friends, the deceased President S
sister and others, to look at the re-
mains Of the late executive, as they
lay in the coffin.
Pride In Husband Sustaius
Mrs. Harding commented to her
friends upon how firm and peace
ful were her husband s features in
death. and on the fact that the
mouth displayed no vaccilation. She
was proud Of his record and of him
rs a man and she was irving ia
carry on in the trying period as he
would have wanted her to.
The cXtrcmo simplicity of the
coffin, the services and the cerc
monies necessarily incidental tc
moving the remains to the railroad
station, everything, by Mrs. Hard
ing's orders, We're simple, rs tho
President would have wished. In
this, rs in everything else that she
: did Mrs. Harding was faithful tC
her husband s trust.
The flag-drapod coffin was car
ried from the hotel parlor by The
friends and cabinet Officers, who
/ had served with President Harding
out of the hotel into the late after
noon sunlight, where 3 military
/ cavalcade waited to escort it to the
! funeral train.
Funeral Party leaves for Train
/ Members Of the party entered
carriages as the bells of St. Pat
rick s Cathedral 'tollcd slowly fo
] the executives passing. The roa
of the city was hushcd.
4 large grey motor hearse re
/ ceivcd the casket with its on'
simple laurel wreath, the only de"
oration besides the flag Mr. Hard
ing had served.
Through a crowded canyon o
San Francisco streets with siha
walks iammed and heads filling cV
cry window, the cort ge passed It
J the station There the casket wa
lifted through window into th
funeral ear. A throng that ha'
gathered in the station was sileat
Then the engine bell changed throagI