Evening star., 1923-08-11

more. Tears filled the eyes or Mr.
Hughes and Mr.. Taft. Tears filled
the eyes Of Mrs. Harding.
Quickly recovering. Mrs. Harding
greeted the others, saying: Il can not
talk to you. but L could not think of
having you enter this home without
taking each of you by the hand
Pictures Funeral Service.
There was deep silence as Mrs.
Harding retired. and then the voice
of the minister thanked God for the
good work of the late President and
invoked the divine blessing on the
mourning company. The casket was
taken out, President Coolidge, Chief
Justice Taft. Secretary Hughes ana
the others following"
The relator continued, picturing
the funeral procession and services
at the cemetery from the viewpoint
of a member of the official party:
The slow procession wound lts way
through streets where silent multi
tudes stood uncovered and with
scarcely a movement and Whisper, so
great was the affection for Mr.. Hard
ing, and their sense of loss over MS
death and their desire 10 sympathize
with the stricken family.
ARRIVING at the cemetery the min
listers preceded the casket to the
vault. President Coolidge, Chief Jus
tice Taft. cabinet members ana mill mil
tary and naval officials following
with Mrs Harding and other rela-
tives
Coolidge Faces Casket.
The casket was placed on
icatafalque. President Coolidge stood
! facing II at the foot with the cabinet
members ranged behind him, officers
of the Army to his right and officers
of the Navy TO his left. The min
listers who took part in the services
faced the casket at the head.
Some one gave a signal and the
| Trinity Baptist Church choir began
singing the old hymn, so dear 70 Mr;
! the Encircling Gloom Then rev.
erently the word of God was read,
! telling Of that glorious city where
| there is no sorrow, no signing. no
pain nor tears. no death. no part
| ing. Then the prayer asking FOR the
mercy and comfort of the Savior.
! "As the prayer ended. Mrs. Hard
| ing was heard to say ferVent
Amen; as though she: too t- belle believed 20
| that Gods grace was sumclent 10
meet her time of need.
| Iron Gates Close.
The strains Of Nearer, NV God
to Thee, came from the choir, hid
den behind nearby clump of
bushes.
Then taps were sotnded. The
casket was carried into the vault.
Mrs Harding entered to spend a
| last moment with her beloved dead.
President and Mrs. Coolidge follow
| ed for moment Then the iron
THE members of the funeral
| party entered the waiting automo-
! biles. following President Coolidge
1 according to their rank. and the flu
neral cortege again wound it's way
out of the beautiful cemetery. leav-
| ing there the nations beloved dead
| to sleep until the morning of the
| resurrection"
Living Setting for Rites.
| 1t was a long road to- that silent
vault about which there stands to-
| day a guard of the citizen soldiery of
his own state. There was endless
ceremony Of the nations and the peo-
pies making to mark the way. But it
ended simply. calmly and as the dead
| would have had 1t end.
| Aside from the multitude that
walled the long way from his fathers
/ home to the vault. and those others
| close packed to make living setting
for the funeral rites. there was not
I
| who had held highest power in his
grasp. There were the tanned men OF
! his guard from the sister services of
| the nation, the admirals and the gen
erals who formed his honor escort. the
| friend and comrade who now is Presi-
dent in his stead, the colleagues of his
grief-stricken cabinet. That was ALL
| except, at the last. distant gunfire as
he came to his tomb and the soft tones
| of bugle sounding soldier requiem
Las the gates were closed.
| All Ohio Bids Farewell.
Otherwise the funeral service was
that of simple and much loved citi-
zen of Ohio. For all Ohio seemed to
have come to bid him farewell.
Throngs, whose number will never be
known, passed beside his casket and
looked their last upon the dead face
| before the time for the last journey
came.
| From his fathers house he went out
again carried by the steadfast men. who
have stood constantly to guard dead
commander. No solemn music of bands
or military pageant marked his going
save the great flag of the President
dropping in mourning and carried before
| him to the gates of the tomb as he
went.
Father Shows Grief.
In cars behind the simple hearse that
carried now this honored leader came
the friends and close kin. There, too,
came Chief Justice Taft and Gen.
Pershing. Last to leave the memoriee
house was Mrs. Harding in black and
with veil drawn close, and just ahead
of her walked the old father, his face
plainly showing the agony of his grief
| Through the silent, face walled street
the cortege passed and around the
corner in the quiet cemetery. AS it
came toward the gates the guns spoke
afar in honor.
} The vault stands ivy-wrapped and
| set back into the gentle hill with little
space before it. So the funeral train
was halted at distance and the casket
lifted down to be carried to resting
place before the open entrance of the
tomb. Already a group of senator's
who knew this dead President under
the Capitol dome before he passed to
the White House were already gathered
in waiting, in line across the roadway
that runs before the entrance.
With them stood the comrades Of
camping days, Ford, Edison and Fire
stone.
AdmiraIs Line Way.
The cabinet family came to stand
closer at the foot of the casket with
their new chief standing sorrowfully
tamong them. The admirals in gleam-
ing white lined the way to the left.
the generals to the right and beyond,
behind the cabinet, stood the little
party of intimates and friends who
made the Alaska journey that death
broke so suddenly.
Then came Dr. Harding, with the
SHOWS of his eighty years showing on
his barred head, and then the brave
lwidow walking to har place at the