Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-06
Brief Church Rituals
(Hor&,r,~d {rnrn 0ana O0Al

| DTlcl CuuECU IlltudlS
Continued from Page one)
men to whom the nation would pay
| the highest honors at its command
First in that succession came the
funeral of Americas unknown SOL
| der. There was more of pride than
| sorrow in that mighty outpouring OF
American gratitude and patriotic
| devotion about the bier OF a hum
| BILE. nameless son who was glorified
because he died for the flag. 1t was
a glorious spectacle that surrounded
his entombment.
Profound sorrow marked the funeral
of President Harding. He also had
been struck down in the full tide of
| his service to the flag and men mourn
| ed his untimely death. Again. but
with utterly different note underlying,
the military and civil pageantry of
| fullest national honors was mustered
again the broad avenue over which
flows Americas tides of feeling in
hours of victory or national sorrow
| brimmed fullad with ordered ranks Of
| armed men. and again under the great
! dome of the capitol solemn service for
| the dead was rendered.
Tomorrow comes the third day of
national mourning, n day that will be
strangely different from those that
| went before. Again the nation stands
| eager to lavish the full splendor of its
| sorrow about the bier of faithful
| servant. Again it would b,azon TO the
| world its pride as well as its sorrow
| in the American life that has ended.
| But he would not have it so and the
American people have acquiesced IN
his longing for the privacy of simple
citizenship. There will be no sound OF
drum or funeral note as he is carried
| to his resting place in the cathedral;
no military coloring save the uniforms
of a handful of gallant comrades or
the sister services over which. in their
great hour of trial by tho fire of war.
! he Was commander-in-ch They
| alone will lay hands upon his casket
in his last journey.
| The family service at the s. street
home will he held in the library just
| below the room in which the dead war
president still lay tonight. There, in
| the years since he came speeding
| homewarl from the capitol nearly
three years ago TO know for Il brief
| time freedom from all cares of state
and the trials of high place. nc has
I often sat among the loved books that
rank themselves about walls. Old
! trusted lTltiuS. IStGN ~ i'l'' MANN
| The room looks out over the same
quiet gardon upon which he last Fascd
| from the window of the death cham
her. It is a peaceful. quiet room re-
mote from the noise of the city or the
| strife and contentious Of tho world
| Before it's wide fireplace Woodrow VIII
| son found much ease and comfort de-
! spite the heavy hand of fatal illness
| that lay upon him.
There. no Doubt. in the long quiet
hours Of calm reflection, his Urea eyes
sazed back over the troubled years
! behind him. Before him again were
marshalled the figures OH that great
world stage where he had played SO
/ stirring II part. Again in fancy he must
| have felt the heart-stir men ieel when
| the word acclaims them great AGAIN
| the surge Of high emotion from which
he drew inspiration for the valiant
words in which he voiced the challenge
| OF democracy rs the world fa,tercd on
| tho brinl, Of ruin.
Who knows what memories OF
! mental anguish were his as he
! thought again of the day when hi:
| command must send the daunt.eSS
| sons of America TO render their lives
! for the Flag on the bloody fields OF
| France Who knows with what &C.
stasy he Elinpscd the vision of :
world rcm2de to peace. or with villa,
! bitter disappointment he watched
! that vision fade? AS he sat in that
quiet room through his stricla IN
years. it all must have come agar
! before his eye. the story that the
world has waited for In vain. his
! own story
Tomorrow tender hands will lift
| him down again for his last short
hour in that memory pcopled room
They will lay him gently before the
great fireplace where he SO OTTER
! sat and about him in the sacred
! privacy of the family circle vii
gather the few who may share II
those last moments. Among them
will stand the colleague upon whose
| shoulders now rests til" heavy
weight Of the presidency. Among
! them. too, will stand a few wht
! served humbly with him in the great
! days gone by. There will be true
! democracy. the democracy or sor.
! row. in that little group in Tx
| stricken home.
4 short half hour Will serve fol
! the intimate leave taking. There
! will he only the trio of clcrEymcn Il
! speak the kindly. cOnsoling Worus a
! tho psalms and cntreat Gods tender
lest compassio for dear ones from
whom he is parting. They will read
too. from the light, worn book e.
devotional exercises that Woodrow
| Wilson scanned through the years il
| his nightly readings, sSen rs ht
searched the scripture for those texts
| that would stay his spirit against tho
! trials of a day to come.
There will be no music or hymns
! in the home service. although in lif(
! he had great love for three of The
! old, solemn melodies that have
taught men courage and patience
! There is something significant Of
! Woodrow Wilson's character in The
! choice among I'll thOSe he hoard L