The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1924-02-12
,vII SON TOUCHED BY
vARDING'S KINDNESS
~rpp GENTLY CONSIDER
IA ~ OF STRICKEN PREDE-
LESSOR AT INAUGURAL.

,,.,euINGTON.-Death laid its
ms on Woodrow Wilson's
IA ON his predecessor, Warren G.
s-, while he was on a speaking
tr.o in the west
While Harding's collapse led to
law and death within a week
s%,y,.ons led to paralysis and linger-
no disability of years
5 l,, 1' lived to see Harding dead
" h,,ried participating in the lat
alG y. f,,neral, and yet any one OF the
r. IL of thousands of men and
l. |,oa who saw the two men riding
0' me capitol together on the day OF
To- 20 -J;nq's Inauguration, March 4, 1921,
Ia an. It'' have wagered that Mr.. Harding
"o o,,id have seen Mr.. Wilson put I'M
oe lrt '"N one sight of all the Inaugural
nv aoectac1e on that day which thous-
o oi5 of Americans took home with
anu, was Harding's gentle considera-
4;oo Tor his stricken predecessor
A4I. bad actually helped hit Wilson
Il, 49, the steps of the White House
uo or..co and into their carriage On
L w. Nv, nav 10 the capitol where he took
.I o oath he had silenced with q ges-
.. nr The cheering throng, in respect
49, drunken sick man beside him.
s,Tbranpbout all the Inauguration cere-
,,.1,,, Harding pursued a studied
.o.s of careful consideration for
Eyleon It was the gentleness OF
lB7Iarding's nature to do so, and as time
Lib the acts we're stored away i'll the
S,,,arnorv of the man whom some call
nJ rold and unresponsive and Others
#called ungratetul.
Az a, the start of the ride that inaugu-
r,t;on day along Pennsylvania avenue
8,Lnra was a embarrassed silence be-
,,oc7 the two men. Then Mr.. Har-
Bins casting about for topic that
#,ronld serve perhaps to take his COM
lannon's mind away from the severe
etrsin through which he was passing,
Started discussion of White House
net. From that the conversation led
l. talk of pet animals in general and
8IIarding related a story OF how his
si,tcr. a missionary in India, had been
bon,hed bv the devotion of an ele-
Ibant that in his last hours moaned
.tr5usly until his keeper had been
Semmoned and then, folding the man
h. him and encircling him tenderly
4Rirb ms trunk had peacefully and
con,entedly passed away.
a To his establishment, when the story
IVA, over, Harding saw teare courslng
tovn the wan check of the man beside
him.
Wilson. living in seclusion in his
home here never had any social IN
trrcourse with Harding, but he al
hrays remembered him kindly.
Time passed and one day death
Knocked at the White House door. He
FINGERED there, too, reluctant to, go
kway. He was reckoning to Mrs.
#Iardjng. At the same time in his
Secluded home, not many blocks away
Woodrow Wilson, the paralyzed IN
kalid. as he supported his waverlng
krams upon his chair and said his
PRAYER for grace as he sat down to his
Aueals, murmuring his plea to 600
& hat she might be restored to health,
#All that the world knew was that ne
klrove to the White House door and
lcit his card
Later with genuine sorrow he par
tcipated in the state funeral of Mr..
Harding, and publicly declared him
president who undoubtedly had won
thc esteem OF the whole nation by his
honorable and conscientious conduct
Nh Office