Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-07
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
Life in a Graveyard
By DR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain of the United States Senate

C1OIh dOAOoo VAAS
gifts are pouring in for
establishment Of a Cultural
Center on the banks of the
stored Potomac in the most
important city in the world.
Here, in an imposing setting,
the arts which are among
the vital factors making a
nation great, especially music
and the spoken and acted
word, will have a new oppor-
tunity to be exemplified and
glorified on a national scale.
From classic times the sculp-
tors magic in fashioning the
human form in enduring
marble or bronze has been
the twin Of the masters Gre
alive brush upon canvas.
In priceless paintings and in
striking statuary Washington
is, in itself, for the millions
who visit their Capital, a
cultural center.
What a pity. as they revel
In the sights Of the one city
which belongs to us all that
so many who thrill at the
best in any realm miss the
fascination Of that which is
without question one of the
greatest artistic achievements
Of the goth century. Within
this summer tourist season
one whose work is to show
people the city, told me when
for an interment he drove
me to famous Rock Creek
Cemetery, as we spoke OF
Grief which nestles there,
that constantly those whom
he conducts speak vaguely Of
Augustus st. Gaudens' statue
and wonder where the GEM
etery is In which it can be
seen. This travel expert con-
fessed that he, himself, had
never feasted his eyes upon
it.
All this has brought the
determination to tell those
who in various parts Of the
land read these lines that in
this Sculptured miracle there
is to be found life in a grave
yard. The greenish bronze
figure of the seated woman
within the incredible perfec-
ton Of the folds of her
ample cloak, is the high altar
Of a secluded sanctuary
through whose holly and
cypress draperies little truant
waves Of sunlight pass to
dance upon the petaled floor
Of this mystic chapel of the
living dead. The figure is an
Alpine peak in art! Compe-
tent critics with almost one
accord, acclaim the Rock
Creek Adams Memorial st.
Gaudens' masterpiece, sur
passing his Christ in the
Phillips Brooks Memorial in
Boston, and his Lincoln in
Chicago.
To visit a world city which
wears this creation as a Won
drous gem and never to take
the path worn by those drawn
as a magnet from half a
world away, not to see for
ones self this piece of artis-
tic perfection, Is like being in
Paris and never seeing the
Venus de Milo, or in Milan
and missing The Last Sup
per. If this sounds like an
extravagant eulogy, listen to
Alexander Woollcott as he
declares, "It is the m o S t
beautiful thing ever fash
Toned by the hand Of man on
this continent" John Gals
worthy m axes one of his
characters, a cultured Eng
liShman, as he comes face to
face with this memorial, re-
mark with awe-'The best
thing he had come across in
America, the one that gave
him the most pleasure in
spite of all the water he had
seen at Niagara and those
Skyscrapers in New York"
He sat engroSsed and alb
sorbed, gazing intently at
THE woman who had passed
beyond grief as she sat in a
frozen acceptance deeper
than death itself-very re-
markable." The comment of