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 s^s^^m. 

 
 Harriet Hammond McCormick
 
 IN MEMORIAM 
 
 Harriet Hammond McCormick 
 
 Entered the Earthly Life 
 December 21, 1862 
 
 Entered the Heavenly Life 
 January 17, 192 1 
 
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 Privately Printed
 
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 C^ I -* 
 
 M\37Jj3 
 
 THE SERVICES 
 
 January Nineteenth 
 
 At the home 
 
 At the Fourth Presbyterian Church 
 
 At Graceland Cemetery 
 
 The Reverend James G. K. McClure 
 
 President of McCormick Theological Seminary 
 
 The Reverend James S. Stone 
 
 Rector of St. James's Episcopal Church 
 
 The Reverend John Timothy Stone 
 Pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church
 
 The scripture 
 
 We took sweet counsel together, and walked 
 unto the house of God in company. 
 
 The righteous shall be in everlasting remem- 
 brance. 
 
 They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in 
 that day when I make up My jewels. 
 
 CO ro c^ 
 
 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for 
 the first heaven and the first earth were passed 
 away; and there was no more sea. And I heard a 
 great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tab- 
 ernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with 
 them, and they shall be His people. And God shall 
 wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall 
 be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, 
 neither shall there be any more pain: for the former 
 things are passed away. 
 
 And He shewed me a pure river of water of life, 
 clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God 
 and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, 
 and on either side ot the river, was there the tree 
 of life: and the leaves of the tree were for the heal- 
 ing of the nations. And there shall be no night 

 
 there; and they need no candle, neither light of the 
 sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they 
 shall reign for ever and ever. 
 
 CO CO c^ 
 
 Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become 
 the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by 
 man came death, by man came also the resurrec- 
 tion of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so 
 in Christ shall all be made alive. And as we have 
 borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear 
 the image of the heavenly. Behold, I shew you a 
 mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be 
 changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye: 
 for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be 
 raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For 
 this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this 
 mortal must put on immortality. Then shall be 
 brought to pass the saying that is written, Death 
 is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy 
 sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be 
 to God, which giveth us the victory through our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, 
 be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the 
 work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your 
 labour is not in vain in the Lord. 
 
 CO CO CO 
 
 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
 
 bestowed upon us, that we should be called the 
 sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, 
 because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the 
 sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we 
 shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, 
 we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. 
 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth 
 himself, even as He is pure. 
 
 CO c^ <r^ 
 
 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind 
 is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. 
 
 CO (TO CO 
 
 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in 
 God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are 
 many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told 
 you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go 
 and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and 
 receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye 
 may be also. I am the way, the truth, and the 
 life. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto 
 you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let 
 not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 
 
 CO CO CO 
 
 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of 
 angels, and have not love, I am become as sound- 
 ing brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have
 
 the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, 
 and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so 
 that I could remove mountains, and have not love, 
 I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods 
 to feed the poor, and have not love, it profiteth me 
 nothing. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love 
 envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed 
 up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not 
 her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 
 rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 
 beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all 
 things, endureth all things. Love never faileth: but 
 whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether 
 there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be 
 knowledge, it shall vanish away. For now we see 
 through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now 
 I know in part; but then shall I know even as also 
 I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, love, 
 these three; but the greatest of these is love. 
 
 (TO rO (TO 
 
 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price 
 is far above rubies. She stretcheth out her hand 
 to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands 
 to the needy. Strength and honour are her cloth- 
 ing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She 
 openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue 
 is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the
 
 ways of her household, and eateth not the bread 
 of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her 
 blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 
 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou 
 excellest them all. A woman that feareth the Lord, 
 she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her 
 hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. 
 
 ro CO CO 
 
 The disciples came unto Jesus, saying, Who is the 
 greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called 
 a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of 
 them, and said. Verily I say unto you. Except ye be 
 converted, and become as little children, ye shall 
 not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever 
 therefore shall humble himself as this little child, 
 the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 Suffer little children to come unto Me, and for- 
 bid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 
 
 CO CO CO 
 
 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 
 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He 
 leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth 
 my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteous- 
 ness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk 
 through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 
 fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and
 
 Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table 
 before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou 
 anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 
 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the 
 days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of 
 the Lord for ever. 
 
 r^ (TO (TO 
 
 I am the Resurrection, and the Life, saith the 
 Lord: he that believeth in Me, though he were 
 dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and 
 believeth in Me shall never die. 
 
 I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He 
 shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: Whom 
 I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold. 
 
 We brought nothing into this world, and it is 
 certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, 
 and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the 
 name of the Lord.
 
 The Hymns 
 
 My God and Father, while I stray- 
 Far from my home, on life's rough way, 
 Oh, teach me from my heart to say, 
 "Thy will be done." 
 
 Though dark my path, and sad my lot, 
 Let me be still and murmur not. 
 Or breathe the prayer divinely taught, 
 "Thy will be done." 
 
 If Thou shouldst call me to resign 
 What most I prize, it ne'er was mine; 
 I only yield Thee what is Thine: 
 "Thy will be done." 
 
 Renew my will from day to day. 
 Blend it with Thine, and take away 
 All that now makes it hard to say, 
 "Thy will be done." 
 
 Then, when on earth I breathe no more 
 The prayer oft mixed with tears before, 
 I'll sing upon a happier shore, 
 "Thy will be done."
 
 When troubles, sorrows surge and crowd about thee, 
 
 Put all thy trust in God so heavenly. 
 
 When tribulations endless bear thee down. 
 
 Look to the Lord and Jesus Christ His Son. 
 
 Man is but dust and soon to dust again 
 
 He will return; but see his Master then. 
 
 Oh, life is but like a day; 
 
 Therefore be happy all the way. 
 
 God has a reason for trials and tribulations; 
 
 He does ordain the strife 'twixt nations. 
 
 Why He does this we cannot know. 
 
 "Thy will be done!" May we e'er say it so. 
 
 — Composed by Elizabeth McCormick at the age oj twelve 
 to be sung to Mendelssohn's ^'Consolation"
 
 Hark! hark, my soul! Angelic songs are swelling 
 O'er earth's green fields, and ocean's wave-beat 
 shore; 
 
 How sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling 
 Of that new life when sin shall be no more. 
 
 Angels of Jesus, angels of light, 
 
 Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night! 
 
 Onward we go, for still we hear them singing, 
 "Come, weary souls, for Jesus bids you come"; 
 
 And through the dark, its echoes sweetly ringing, 
 The music of the gospel leads us home. 
 
 Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing, 
 The voice of Jesus sounds o'er land and sea; 
 
 And laden souls, by thousands meekly stealing, 
 Kind Shepherd, turn their weary steps to Thee. 
 
 Rest comes at length, though life be long and dreary, 
 The day must dawn, and darksome night be past; 
 
 Faith's journeys end in welcome to the weary. 
 And heaven, the heart's true home, will come at last. 
 
 Angels, sing on! your faithful watches keeping; 
 
 Sing us sweet fragments of the songs above; 
 Till morning's joy shall end the night of weeping. 
 
 And life's long shadows break in cloudless love. 
 
 Angels of Jesus, angels of light. 
 
 Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night!
 
 The Prayers 
 
 Our loving Heavenly Father, Thy presence we 
 understand when we see Thee in the mystery of 
 Thy victory over death. Thou hast brought life 
 and immortality to light through the gospel. We 
 pray that Thou wilt be graciously near to these 
 friends as they part from the form in which their 
 loved one dwelt. May they always find this house 
 radiant and beautiful with her spiritual presence, 
 and with the light and peace of the Spirit of God- 
 Amen. 
 
 CO (TO ro 
 
 In January, 1905, Elizabeth McCormick, loving, 
 lovable, and loved, passed into heaven, whither the 
 mother heart has now followed her, there to abide. 
 This prayer, which was offered at Elizabeth's 
 funeral, we now repeat: 
 
 We seem to give her back to Thee, dear 
 God, who gave her to us; yet as Thou didst 
 not lose her in giving, so we have not lost her 
 by her return. Not as the world giveth, givest 
 Thou, O Lover of Israel. What Thou givest 
 Thou takest not away, for what is Thine is ours
 
 always, for we are Thine. And life is eternal; and 
 love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; 
 and the horizon is nothing save the limit of 
 our sight. Lift us up, strong Son of God, that 
 we may see further; cleanse our eyes that we 
 may see more clearly; draw us closer to Thee 
 that we may know ourselves nearer to our 
 beloved, who is with Thee; and while Thou dost 
 prepare a place for us, prepare us for the happy 
 place, that where she is and Thou art, we 
 may be. Amen. 
 
 CO c^ c^ 
 
 O Thou who art the Father of our hearts, we are 
 all one today in common sorrow, for out of our 
 life has gone a presence of wondrous strength, 
 wondrous cheer, and wondrous blessing. We are 
 all one before Thee in common reverence, for we 
 acknowledge that Thy ways are past finding out. 
 We are all one in our common sympathy each 
 for the other, and for those to whom this loss is 
 the most crushing and severe. We are all one 
 in our common faith, for we believe in Thee and 
 hold fast to Thee for grace and cheer. And we 
 are all one in our common hope, which hope we 
 have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and 
 steadfast, for beyond the horizon of time we 
 know there is the life of immortality.
 
 We give Thee thanks for this oneness. Diver- 
 sified as we are, representing so many different 
 phases of activity, we are grateful that, because 
 of the greatness of the love we cherished, there can 
 be an hour when every heart is tender. We give 
 Thee thanks that in our inmost being there is a 
 desire to bow before Thee, as the One who 
 dost order all the events of our lives, and dost order 
 them in wisdom and in goodness. And we give Thee 
 thanks that our Christian hope does not fail us, but 
 is clear and strong in the midst of our grief. 
 
 We look to Thee as the Giver of all our joys. 
 It was from Thee that this dear life came into our 
 world, and grew, in beauty and in charm, into wom- 
 anhood; entered into sacred marriage; knew the 
 joys of motherhood; and developed into large pur- 
 pose and usefulness in human activities, becoming 
 so rich, so outgiving, so uplifting. 
 
 We bless Thy name for all the care that this 
 beloved one extended to suffering children; for her 
 unceasing interest in everything that pertained to 
 their health of body and development of mind; for 
 her helpfulness to all young people as they advanced 
 into the temptations and possibilities of their de- 
 velopment. We thank Thee for her devotion to 
 everything that pertained to social betterment; for 
 her consecration to the welfare of the community.
 
 of the nation, and of the world. We bless Thee 
 that the hidden sources of her life were in the Church 
 of God, in which and through which she exercised 
 so wide an influence of beneficence. We bless Thee, 
 too, for the love she gave to innumerable friends 
 who were bound to her by ties that can never be 
 sundered. And we thank Thee that her home was 
 to her her supreme sphere of usefulness, so that in 
 her home she was always the animating and sancti- 
 fying presence. 
 
 And now, O God, in this hour so quiet and so 
 tender, this great company of people, varied in their 
 places and conditions of life, all bow before Thee 
 to enter upon a new consecration. Henceforth, may 
 it be our purpose to live by the motives which 
 actuated her. Grant, O God, that the sources of 
 our words and deeds may be, like hers, unselfish 
 and genuine; that a high sense of duty may domi- 
 nate us; that without envy or self-thought we may 
 seek the good of others, rather than our own. 
 Grant to us, also, that there may come, through 
 Thine indwelling grace, her quietness of mind, her 
 balance of judgment, her fair and honest con- 
 sideration of every subject that makes its appeal to 
 our thought. Grant that we may stand by every 
 worthy cause, encouraging its workers; that we 
 may be dependable when we promise and when
 
 we undertake; that we may make our possessions 
 our servants rather than suffer them to be our mas- 
 ters; that we may search out those who are in 
 sorrow, or in need, or in loneliness, and minister 
 unto them, so that they shall bless God who has 
 enabled us to labor for the world's good. 
 
 God of all comfort, enter with all Thy fullness 
 into our hearts, and take possession of them. Bring 
 to remembrance the sweet experiences of the days 
 when fellowship has been close, and comradeship 
 has been intimate, making memory retentive of 
 voice, of look, of hand, and of work. Impart to us 
 the assurance of Thy presence with us now, so that 
 we may have an abundant consciousness of Thy 
 support. Make increasingly clear to us the joy of 
 the everlasting life, so that it shall become to us as 
 real as our immediate sorrow. Steady us in the 
 path of loyal devotion to all the principles of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. Steady us, O God, for we are 
 weak, and only Thine everlasting arms can be our 
 sufficiency. 
 
 As we go forth from this church, may it be that 
 this service of love and of honor for her, and of 
 faith and hope in Thee, shall have been to us a 
 purification, an exaltation, a sanctification, so that 
 all life henceforth may be richer, sweeter, and truer, 
 because our beloved has gone to be with Thee.
 
 Thus may it be that the hours and the days to 
 come shall be more glorious hours and more glorious 
 days than have ever visited our hearts and lives; 
 and all because we have sorrowed together, and 
 have remembered together, and have had faith to- 
 gether, in this hour. This we ask for the sake and 
 in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 (^0 r<o CO 
 The God of peace, that brought again from the 
 dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of 
 the sheep, give unto us grace to know more assur- 
 edly the fellowship of His people here with His holy 
 ones who have gone home; lead our sister departed 
 from glory to glory, till at the last she shall behold 
 the beatific vision; and also make you who remain 
 in this present world perfect in every good work to do 
 His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing 
 in His sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord; to 
 Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 CO CO CO 
 
 Our loving Father, the victory which Thou 
 hast assured us over death and the grave is our 
 word of comfort as we stand here in blessed and 
 hallowed memory. May the peace of God abide 
 in the hearts of all loved ones who have gathered 
 here; and may grace, mercy, and peace abide with 
 you all now and always, through Jesus Christ our 
 Lord. Amen.
 
 The Voices
 
 "Her friends are her monument, their love 
 is imperishable, for the human heart is more 
 steadfast than steel, and passing from lip to 
 lip her praise shall never die."
 
 The words of mourning, of sympathy, of love, 
 and of admiration in the countless messages received 
 at the time of Mrs. McCormick's death are so uni- 
 fied in thought and spirit that, like a great chorus 
 of harmonious voices, they seem to compose a 
 powerful theme, full of comfort and inspiration. 
 
 Many testified to their sense of loss and claimed 
 a right to share this bereavement — those who were 
 near and dear, whose heads were bowed with grief; 
 those who had never seen her but had long felt the 
 strength of her influence; those who had known her 
 in childhood; those who had been her girlhood 
 friends; those with whom she had worked or played 
 through all the happy years; those who sent yearn- 
 ing messages from across the seas; those whose lives 
 she had touched by gracious acts of kindness — the 
 humble servant, the honored guest, the simple im- 
 migrant, the distinguished statesman. There were 
 old men who wrote with trembling hands; little 
 children who were sad because a loyal friend had 
 gone; young women who through all the years had 
 cherished sweet Elizabeth's memiory; young men 
 who had felt the charm of her motherly interest; 
 and a host who mourned the loss of a beloved and 
 valued citizen.
 
 1 
 
 At first their voices mingled in a common cry of 
 sorrow — sorrow for themselves, for their own loss; 
 but slowly, as the glory of her life was revealed, 
 there appeared dimly through their tears — and then 
 more clearly — her radiant presence, more stately yet 
 more tender, more sweetly understanding than be- 
 fore; and with this realization their sorrow was 
 changed to a song of hope and triumph. Death was 
 swallowed up in victory! 
 
 The motive running through these messages 
 gained in impressiveness through repetition, and 
 grew in majesty as it grew in volume, forming a 
 beautiful symphony — a succession of melodious 
 movements around one tender theme, begun in a 
 minor key of sadness and ending in triumphant 
 chords. 
 
 With the idea of this symphony in mind, these 
 thoughts, expressed in the words of the writers, have 
 been selected and arranged with loving care.
 
 THE VOICES 
 
 No one could have gone from our midst They Mourn 
 who will be so mourned by all who knew her oo 
 A noble spirit whose daily labors were of great 
 value has been taken from her sphere of activity 
 and influence at a time when it would seem she 
 was most needed ro We can*t spare her, none 
 of us; we need her now, here with us c^ It is 
 for those who are left that my heart is heavy, 
 for those of us who cannot think of life without 
 her friendship (^o I only want to tell you of 
 my sympathy and my own sense of loss and 
 grief CO The world looks darker to many of 
 us oo I have never had such sorrow as that 
 which now fills my heart c^d I am overwhelmed 
 by a feeling of deep sadness that never again 
 may I have the touch of her hand or look into 
 her sweet face co It seems impossible that I 
 shall not see her smile co I cannot tell you 
 how I long to see her face again, to hear her 
 voice; I loved her more than you will ever 
 know CO It is a sorrow to me that I can never 
 again in this life come into her gracious pres- 
 ence c^:) It is a lonely world to me tonight,
 
 and I am far away when I would be near at 
 hand, paying my tribute of love to my dear, 
 dear neighbor c^d Her relationship to us was 
 so beautiful and gracious that we feel as If the 
 light had been dimmed (to I have lost some 
 one I love very much and I feel a big pain In 
 my heart (X) My love and admiration for her 
 knew no bounds, and I cannot realize that God 
 has taken her from us c^ She was very dear to 
 me, and I shall miss her desperately r^ I have 
 always felt such tenderness and love for her; 
 I don't know any one else like her co I wish 
 she might have known how some of us loved 
 her for herself so much more than for the 
 things she was constantly helping us to do for 
 others c^ Such women cannot be spared from 
 the world; those who reach out and brighten the 
 lives of others are none too many c\d With our 
 earthly vision, it seems as though a splendid, 
 commanding, uplifting life like hers could not 
 be spared. Her capacity was so great, her in- 
 fluence for the world's betterment so helpful, 
 and there is need for great souls today. 
 
 They Remember Her life was full of kind deeds, ever simply 
 
 ii€T ixlTiilHCSS 
 
 done; she was genuinely sincere in all that was 
 for the betterment of the world c^ I can 
 never forget her great kindness when T came to
 
 Chicago as a stranger. To me she was and 
 ever will be the queen among women ro I 
 can still feel the warmth of her arm around 
 me, and I see so clearly the kind light in her 
 beautiful eyes c^ Her kindness to me in our 
 great sorrow is something I cannot express, 
 but shall always feel <ro Her letters to me I 
 shall keep and treasure, for each one had in it 
 something to warm my heart and help me 
 during the long waiting of war days c^ Only 
 two days before Mrs. McCormick was taken 
 ill, I met her on the street, and in her desire 
 to comfort me because of the loss of my daugh- 
 ter, she said, "We must feel no bitterness 
 when our loved ones are taken" ro She came 
 to see me first the day my elder son was born, 
 and was the first to send me flowers. I was 
 young and very new to Chicago. I shall 
 never forget how much that expression of 
 interest meant co She was so kind and 
 sympathetic during those hard years of the 
 war, and her sweet friendly thought for us 
 never failed ro After I lost my baby, no one 
 seemed to understand or help me as much as 
 she did. Her wonderful bigness of heart and 
 mind were a great inspiration, and guided 
 me through many dark hours <ro Her personal
 
 kindness to me began with her hospitality to 
 my mother and myself soon after our arrival 
 in Chicago eighteen years ago, and it has been 
 unfailing ever since ro I shall always remem- 
 ber her welcome to me; her confidence inspired 
 me to do my best c^ We had a dear boy at 
 the Presbyterian Hospital some nine years 
 ago, and she tendered us the use of your room 
 there; and that was not all — her kindnesses 
 to him were constant, and when he was taken 
 from us her understanding words helped us 
 greatly co She was so tender and sweet in 
 my troubles last year, I shall never forget 
 it ro Her kindness and friendliness to me those 
 months that I was in Chicago are a happy 
 memory co Her courtesy to me was infinite co 
 I received from her on innumerable occasions 
 the tokens of real kindness, true American 
 friendship, and hospitality <x) I must write to 
 tell you how we love her, and shall miss her. 
 She did so much to make the first year of 
 our married life rich in happy memories c%d 
 My eyes are dim with tears and my heart 
 overflowing with tenderness as I think of 
 the many kind and wonderful things she has 
 planned and done for us since we came here 
 to live oo I live surrounded by her sweet
 
 thoughtfulness! What a beautiful memory we 
 all have of her, for she was constantly doing for 
 others. 
 
 She was always the same dear, true friend, 
 never thinking of herself but of others, constant- 
 ly doing the loveliest things for them ro A train 
 conductor told me that after the death of one 
 of his children, Mrs. McCormick talked so 
 beautifully to his wife that she said it was her 
 greatest comfort c^ When my husband died, she 
 wrote my daughter the kindest, most motherly 
 letter, opening to her her heart and home — I 
 would have trusted my daughter to her any- 
 where on earth c^ How wonderful she was in 
 her watchful attention to every detail, thinking 
 always of what she could do for other people c^^ 
 I never knew any one more thoughtful and more 
 unselfishly glad to take trouble for others c^ It 
 was Harriet's natural impulse to bring happiness 
 into people's lives, whenever she could find a way 
 of reaching them c^ Courtesy and thoughtful- 
 ness were part of her daily life co I have never 
 known a more gracious presence nor one whose 
 kindliness was so unfailing ro Her loving spirit 
 and foresight made possible richer, fuller lives 
 for many who never would have known either 
 health or happiness.
 
 She has left behind her a lasting memorial in 
 the multitudes of little children who have been 
 blest by her wise and tender beneficence c%d 
 The city, especially the children of the city, 
 know what Mrs. McCormick's death means c^j 
 We can never forget her generous and ready 
 response to the children's wants ro She good 
 woman — help children — friend of mine — she 
 good woman c^ We teachers appreciate more 
 and more the value of the good work she 
 helped to establish, for the open window rooms 
 are indeed life savers in our stockyards neigh- 
 borhood CO The personal loss is great, but the 
 good that her life has done is a wonderful, 
 living thing. The school children in this and 
 other cities talk about the Elizabeth McCormick 
 Memorial Fund with a familiarity and an in- 
 terest that is very touching c%d The kindnesses 
 of Mrs. McCormick to the children of the 
 Open Air Schools will never be forgotten; and I 
 shall always keep and treasure the letters she 
 sent me during my stay at the school ro Ruddy 
 cheeks which once were pallid, strong bodies 
 which once were weak, prove that a work was 
 started which must endure. Surely no greater 
 monument could be erected to her memory oo 
 Every good citizen has a pride in the unique
 
 service she has rendered to children co She 
 was, above all, in the greatness of her heart, 
 and with the tender memory of her little 
 daughter, eager to help children ro She will 
 be surrounded by a cloud of witnesses — an 
 army of little children whose feet she has set 
 on the road to health, who will rise up and call 
 her blessed. 
 
 Mrs. McCormick always had an uncom- 
 monly real bond with the younger generation, 
 it seemed to me, and her generous kindness 
 to so many of us made us feel that we 
 were part of her life c%d Of all the wonderful 
 mothers I have met, I know of none whom I 
 admired, respected, and loved better cro As 
 long as I remember anything, I shall remem- 
 ber her virtues and kindnesses. I can never 
 forget her kind words of encouragement when 
 I met her last c^ I shall always think of 
 your mother as an angel of goodness in those 
 first homesick days at Princeton, as well as on 
 many other occasions when she was kind and 
 lovely to me cx) I remember her so well at 
 Camp Grant and at Sparta — so gracious and 
 cheering, so full of energy and the spirit of ser- 
 vice, that she seemed to me the embodiment of 
 vitality co It was a privilege for me to know
 
 your mother. Such a combination of beauty, 
 intellect, kindliness of feeling, love, and queen- 
 liness as was hers is seldom found. 
 
 They Praise Her In the sacred precincts of her home she was 
 Devotwnte er ^^^ \\g\\t and Center, the adored and loving 
 wife, the tender and devoted mother c^ Harriet 
 had before her a high ideal of wifehood and 
 motherhood in your own wonderful mother. 
 How nobly did she take up all the cares and 
 all the joys, all the bliss and all the sorrow, 
 and in simple, gentle, unaffected strength of 
 character become herself an example of sweet- 
 est wife and noblest mother co A radiant, 
 rich, and gracious life; a motherhood ideal 
 and strong in its conception of duty co 
 Mrs. McCormick was always to me the picture 
 of a happy wife, a perfect mother, and an ideal 
 citizen ro It has been a privilege to know 
 her in the intimacy of her home. I think of 
 her as I saw her last, standing in the hall 
 at Walden, her face radiant with affectionate 
 solicitude as she made sure that everything 
 had been done for our convenience on the 
 homeward drive. As a hostess no detail 
 that might add to the pleasure or comfort of 
 her guests seemed too trivial to demand her 
 personal attention c%d My knowledge of the 

 
 atmosphere of a beautiful home life while in your 
 service has left a deep impression on me ro 
 Her presence in her home will be missed to an 
 unusual degree, for she was a home-maker 
 above all else <^o Walden will ever be filled 
 with the sweet spirit of her hospitality and 
 friendship, and its quiet paths and shady lawns 
 will always speak of her gracious personality r^ 
 She was a remarkable woman, a model wife 
 and mother, who, without neglecting the pleas- 
 ant obligations of her home, was a strong 
 influence in social life, and at the same time 
 an active force in public affairs ro Her rare 
 virtues and gracious presence gave to her home 
 a distinctive Christian atmosphere, readily rec- 
 ognized by all of us who were privileged to 
 enjoy its hospitality c^ Her home life was 
 beautiful and will always be my ideal c^ She 
 liked to live quietly at home with her husband 
 and children, apart from the social obligations 
 which crowded in upon herco I like most of all 
 to remember her at Walden, whose beauty she 
 was so eager to share co Mrs. McCormick 
 was at her best in her home, dispensing to all 
 kinds of people generous and delightful hos- 
 pitality CO She was a rare and sympathetic 
 companion, both a helpmeet and an inspiration.
 
 not only in the intimacy of her home but in 
 the broad interests and far-reaching enter- 
 prises with which your family is so closely 
 connected co She was a wonderful woman — 
 in her radiant, queenly presence, in her gracious 
 home-making and hospitality, in her great 
 capacity for friendship, in her wide and sym- 
 pathetic interest in people everywhere and in 
 every walk of life, in her own unselfish Christian 
 character — a beautiful example of American 
 womanhood. 
 
 They Praise Her As I listened yesterday, during the services, to 
 
 Noble Character , t^-ii- ii • • r.L • ^ 
 
 the Biblical description or the virtuous woman, 
 I thought how truly every word and phrase ap- 
 plied to Mrs. McCormick's life and character. 
 She did indeed excel in her natural gifts and 
 in the use she made of her great opportunities c%3 
 She stood so nobly and so sweetly for all the 
 things that are more excellent in the city's life 
 that her death is an inestimable loss ro In 
 the midst of the rushing brusqueness of others 
 she always had the time to be gracious and 
 charming. She radiated a spirit of helpfulness 
 that will not die, but will live to be a rich 
 inheritance to all who knew her co She was 
 never afraid, in the midst of the gayety and joy
 
 of life, to sit at home and think ro She had 
 what every one of us would wish for him or her- 
 self, a life full to the brim, and to the very end, 
 with service, with love and friendship, with wise 
 generosity, and with infinite usefulness oo She 
 was not one to supplant old affections with 
 new; the new were just added to the old co To 
 me she combined two great qualities, simplic- 
 ity and dignity c%d Harriet was, in spite of all 
 she had, a very simple woman, loving simple 
 things; and I think she was more interested in 
 showing a wild flower in the woods at Walden 
 than a painting or a tapestry in her home in 
 town CO Her valuations in life were so true ro 
 Holding fast to what seemed to her just and 
 right, the spirit of toleration and the law of 
 kindness dwelt in her speech and actions co I 
 am glad to have had the privilege of serving 
 Mrs. McCormick all these years. The more 
 I learned to know her, the more I loved and 
 respected her <ro She was so fine and in- 
 spiring, and at the same time so natural and 
 human, that the beauty of her character was 
 immediately apparent to those with whom she 
 came in contact even casually oo She stood 
 for so much that was big and splendid, yet 
 underneath her stately dignity and unfaihng
 
 graciousness there seemed to be something 
 shy and wistful and humble — something one 
 might almost call self-distrustful — it always 
 pulled my heart-strings and made me love 
 her all the more c^ I wish you could know 
 how often I think of her! I felt drawn to 
 her from the first moment I saw her — how 
 well I remember that meeting! -I thought 
 her the most charming and perfect hostess, 
 gracious and courteous, thinking of every- 
 one. I made up my mind then and there 
 that she must be an admirable woman, and 
 everything I have known or heard about her 
 since has served to confirm that first high 
 estimate ro From my earliest meeting I felt 
 the sweet radiance of her character co Perhaps 
 she developed the ability to command; perhaps 
 she acquired tact; but graciousness and love were 
 born in her ro Just to watch Mrs. McCormick 
 was a delight, but to have the privilege of 
 consulting her occasionally, and to know that 
 words spoken before her were as safe as if never 
 spoken at all, was an inexpressible comfort ro 
 I treasure as a happy memory our long talks, 
 in which the beauty and fine integrity of her 
 nature were revealed ro No one can acquire 
 that hold upon others unless possessed of rare
 
 powers, mental and spiritual oo She had a 
 sympathetic and loyal heart, softened by an 
 acquaintance with grief, which seemed to have 
 lifted her above selfishness, worldliness, and 
 self-importance co I watched with increasing 
 admiration the development of her noble 
 character — her sweetness and affection, her 
 high ideals, her superb sense of stewardship 
 rising with her ever-increasing responsibilities, 
 her great moral strength. She had the wisdom 
 not to condemn the world by shunning it, but 
 to take an active part in it, courageously main- 
 taining the highest ideals ro Her social standards 
 were an unconscious criticism of flippancy 
 and ostentation ro She saw quickly the most 
 subtle point of what was right, then quietly 
 but firmly took her stand, and the influence of 
 it was felt not only among her friends but 
 throughout the city r^ She always seemed to me 
 to combine unusual qualities of head and heart, 
 great executive powers with loving sympathies, 
 firm convictions with sweet reasonableness, 
 definite faith on her own part with broad 
 tolerance for others, always maintaining that 
 difficult balance of being in the world and yet 
 not wholly of it, enjoying richly its pleasures 
 but unspotted by its soil.
 
 They Love Her My earliest memory goes back to the days 
 Beauty when as a girl she visited here. She was so 
 
 lovely ro I think of her as she looked at the 
 time of her wedding — so gracious and beautiful 
 because of the soul that illumined her face c%3 
 We have been recalling our early memories 
 of her — her abounding life and spontaneity, 
 her joyous charm with her young children, and 
 their delight in her queenly beauty co All the 
 gifts were hers, yet she was untouched by 
 vanity c^ I think that the quality that drew 
 me to her most irresistibly was a certain 
 spontaneous, eternal girlishness, a freshness of 
 spirit that nothing seemed to daunt co It is 
 esteemed by me as a great and good fortune 
 that I had the pleasure and honor of knowing 
 her and coming within the circle irradiated 
 by her charm of mind and person ro We 
 have known no other woman who combined so 
 many noble and gracious qualities of mind and 
 heart, as well as great beauty of person, as she 
 did c^ I shall always remember her as I used 
 to see her, fresh and beautiful, in the early morn- 
 ings here in Paris just one short year ago c%:> 
 Her gracious manner was unchanging; there 
 was a personal note in it, and her exquisite 
 smile was like sunshine c^3 I am thinking of the
 
 strong influence of her steady, valiant charac- 
 ter, of her rare beauty, and of the tender feeling 
 which shone in her eyes. 
 
 Ever since Harriet came to Chicago, a They speak oj 
 beautiful, blooming, slender, erect girl of twelve, ideal 
 I have loved and admired her and longed to 
 be like her. She embodied beauty, goodness, 
 gayety, and sweetness in a way no one I ever 
 knew did co Every child forms an ideal to live 
 up to, and long ago I chose Mrs. McCormick 
 as mine; every sweet and womanly act of hers 
 made me happy and proud because she was 
 the star my eyes followed oo She has been my 
 ideal of all a woman should be since I was a 
 little girl ro I think you know how much I 
 loved her and looked up to her from the time 
 I was quite a little person (^o From the moment 
 when, as an exquisite young girl, she first 
 came to see me, to my last visit with her a 
 month ago, she has dwelt in my mind as an 
 example of all that a woman should be ro She 
 meant everything that was finest in life to me, 
 and I have always counted her as one of my 
 dearest friends c^ I should like to have some 
 little thing that was hers — a book or a photo- 
 graph, something she treasured — to remind me 
 constantly of all that she stood for c^3 When
 
 I feel small and out of courage I look at her 
 picture for inspiration, take another grip on 
 myself, and face the thing feared ro I never 
 parted from her without feeling myself a 
 better woman for our moments together co I 
 want you to know what an inspiration she has 
 been to me; and lately when things have 
 gone hard, her words and her faithful friend- 
 ship have given me courage ro She endowed life 
 for me with a new meaning. She renewed 
 my hope and strengthened my faith ro I 
 never was with her that I did not feel 
 refreshed and inspired to meet life in a better, 
 higher way co Association with her inspired 
 all who knew her to seek service and the things 
 worth while ro Mrs. McCormick has been 
 my ideal of all that is best — of what I have 
 wanted to be. She made me want to live a 
 better, fuller life because she gave so abun- 
 dantly of her own life for others ro I shall 
 always treasure my memories of Harriet and 
 all that she stood for c%3 She was to me 
 the embodiment of those qualities I have 
 long considered necessary for my ideal of woman- 
 hood oo Through my acquaintance with 
 her I have a vision of the great gift of true 
 womanhood and its power in life oo Her
 
 splendid life has brought sunshine and joy into 
 the lives of others, and many of us feel that we 
 are the better for having had so noble a woman 
 among us ro The beauty of her character, in 
 its sincerity, its unselfish thought for others, 
 its entire devotion to the right, is to older and 
 younger women alike a wonderful inspiration. 
 
 One of the enriching experiences of my They Rejoice in 
 
 • -i r 1 • 1 Her Leadership 
 
 life has been the privilege or working under 
 Mrs. McCormick's leadership «ro She was a 
 tower of strength in such a wide field c^ 
 Wherever she served she became a leader, 
 and it was a joy to follow co Her assistance 
 in every big undertaking was so graciously 
 extended that it was indeed a pleasure to serve 
 with her (^o There never was a thing asked of 
 her, nor a point on which she was consulted, 
 to which she did not give of her best judgment; 
 she always seemed able to find the golden 
 mean between what was too radical and 
 what was too conservative co To see her 
 name connected with an organization meant 
 that its aims were high and its business 
 principles sound r^ We know so well what it 
 means to work with those who stand stanchly 
 by, as she did, to give loving aid and 
 hearty support to the task to be performed c^ 

 
 Many of us did not know her personally, yet 
 somehow, in an intangible way, we felt we had 
 her friendly interest co She often seemed to lack 
 confidence in herself, but when she had been 
 persuaded that she was needed for a given 
 undertaking and her reluctance had been over- 
 come, she would assume the leadership with 
 enthusiasm, cheerfully fulfilling every obligation 
 and creating a standard for those who came 
 after c^ She was a loyal friend to every 
 good cause, her mind active in thinking and 
 planning, her zeal contagious, her counsel wise, 
 and her judgment sane ro Her benefactions, • 
 her beautiful spirit of service, her vision, and 
 her broad-mindedness constitute a legacy which 
 the entire association regards as a rare inspira- 
 tion c^o Her loyalty, her enthusiasm, and the 
 strength of her leadership are among our pre- 
 cious memories of this lovely and singularly 
 noble woman. 
 
 They Honor Her When to unsclfish dcvotion, and sympathy 
 Citizen for the poor and weak, there is added a desire 
 
 to express it in a material way, then it is dif- 
 ficult to estimate the great loss to a city when 
 one like Mrs. McCormick is taken away ro It 
 isn't just her friends or a few people who 
 will miss her, but the entire community c%3
 
 Chicago has suffered a great loss, and all her 
 friends are the poorer co The city and the nation 
 at large have lost a great citizen co Apathy 
 in civic affairs is a difficult thing to contend 
 with, but she was the personification of 
 interest in every worthwhile endeavor c^ She 
 set a high standard as a friend and citizen, 
 and her going makes one realize, along with 
 the pain, the value and glory of such a life co 
 Mrs. McCormick was truly a leader; herself 
 good and beautiful, she stood for all that was 
 good and beautiful in the city's life (to No one 
 can fill her place in Chicago; she was loved, 
 respected, honored by all who knew her; a 
 perfect wife and mother, a public-spirited citi- 
 zen, a philanthropist, a woman of great heart 
 and warmest sympathies, a rare combination of 
 gentleness and force, of principle and tact, and 
 grace and beauty. To have known her was a 
 privilege; it strengthened one's belief in human 
 nature and all that is good c^ She was a 
 splendid representative of American Christian 
 womanhood c%d The wisdom, judgment, and 
 sympathy which were hers made her life effec- 
 tive in a very wide world — a world which will 
 continue to receive her beneficence, though the 
 intimate touch of her guiding hand is gone oj
 
 She was vitally interested in the affairs of this 
 country, and of the world, and splendidly 
 equipped to take part in them co Women 
 such as she appear only at long intervals; 
 when they do, their excellence is recognized 
 and appreciated, not only by those fortunate 
 enough to come within the circle of their 
 influence, but also by all intelligent and 
 right-minded observers of the forces which 
 operate for the general good. 
 
 Questioning and You and I have had the privilege of sharing 
 
 Mourning Are ,. • i ^ c i i_ • 
 
 Swept Away our lives With great souls; for such happiness 
 we must be deeply grateful to God. Now that 
 sorrow has come, we have no choice, save as 
 to how we shall meet it. We may make these 
 experiences weights to our feet or wings to our 
 souls; we may sit alone with our grief or share 
 the world's sorrow; we may be victims of our 
 loneliness or victors over it; we may remain in 
 the valley of the shadow of death or soar to 
 the mountain peaks of transfiguration, for 
 "It isn't life that counts but the courage you 
 bring to it" c^ Beautiful to look upon and 
 beautiful in soul, she was prepared for her 
 translation c^ It brings comfort to us, as it 
 must to you, to know that Harriet's spirit has 
 now joined that of Elizabeth; and because of
 
 oj 
 
 their lives here, we are all richer in happiness 
 and joy ro The thought of her reunion with 
 Elizabeth is very comforting co In the stricken 
 sense of loss which one and all suffer through 
 her departure, I can see the two long pro- 
 cessions of those who mourn here and those 
 who welcome and rejoice there; for Harriet 
 McCormick to have passed from earth into the 
 glory of heaven, almost untouched by illness 
 or weariness of the flesh, is a triumph meet for 
 her glorious life. 
 
 I am inspired and uplifted by my precious Rising Above 
 memories of Harriet ro I shall always think the^victory ^"^ 
 of her with happiness, as long as I live co Life ^^'^^^ 
 without her will never be quite so sweet, quite 
 so worth while — but because of her we shall 
 all live it better c^ Death cannot dim her 
 dear and radiant personality co She fulfilled 
 her destiny in life, and her spirit has now gone 
 to a glory beyond our understanding co Her 
 finely balanced mind and heart gave to her 
 life an enduring influence which serves to 
 strengthen in others the will to carry on the 
 work in which she believed co Her spirit still 
 lives with us to help us do our duty as she 
 so unselfishly and nobly did hers c^ Her 
 character and personality were so strong and
 
 outstanding that there remains for us a power- 
 ful and a living influence t^o We shall cherish 
 her memory and try to follow the example she 
 has set us co We shall miss her oh! so much! 
 but we must hold fast to the wonderful spirit 
 and the high ideals that she ever maintained ro 
 We cannot lose her; such a wealth of un- 
 selfish enthusiasm as she shed upon those 
 with whom she came in contact must ever 
 remain an ideal and an inspiration ro Some of 
 us will do better, braver work because of her 
 courage and her truly beautiful life ro To 
 have known her strengthened one's belief in 
 human nature and all that is good co My 
 own life is the stronger and finer for every 
 remembrance of her co We shall carry into 
 the future the rich benefit of having known 
 and loved her co The world was exalted and 
 made more beautiful by her righteous life co 
 There remains uppermost in our hearts an 
 all-surpassing feeling of gratitude for the 
 wonderful lessons of her life co Her sweet 
 spirit, so treasured on earth, has gone to larger 
 fields of usefulness co God's Divine Plan is surely 
 brought nearer perfection through Harriet 
 McCormick's life and work c\5 She made life 
 more beautiful in living, and in going makes
 
 heaven seem more near csd Did you see the rift in 
 the clouds and the ray of sunshine creep through, 
 during the services at Graceland? Her passing 
 into the brighter life leaves behind a trail of 
 glory ro Harriet's spirit lives on, in the con- 
 sciousness of the whole community, in the 
 hearts of her friends, and in the inmost life of 
 her family co A hfe so significant to the world, 
 abounding in that which is good and lovely, 
 triumphs over death, for by its works there is 
 created a noble immortality.
 
 *THE PICTURE OF A LIFE WELL SPENT."
 
 Harriet Hammond McCormick 
 
 The childhood home of Mrs. McCormick in 
 Haverhill, Massachusetts, is picturesquely de- 
 scribed in her own words: "The brick house in 
 which Grandfather and Grandmother Hammond 
 lived was large and roomy. The two rooms to 
 the left of the front door were sacred to the 
 owners: the front room where grandma was 
 always to be found in the high-backed chair by 
 the front window overlooking the tree-shaded 
 lawn of the Baptist Church; and the back sitting- 
 room where stood grandfather's secretary and 
 where hung an old portrait of Daniel Webster, 
 looking into the distance with those stern, far- 
 seeing eyes, which seemed to follow me wherever 
 I went. Then there were the two best parlors 
 across the hall, always kept closed except on 
 state occasions, and here there were, between the 
 windows, long mirrors in gilt frames, supported 
 by marble console tables with gilt legs. The 
 paper was striped greyish-white and green, and 
 it had a dull velvety surface which I used to 
 touch, and it gave me a queer, creepy feeling. I
 
 can still see these rooms with their stiff, hand- 
 some furnishings, the rosewood furniture, the 
 marble-topped tables, and on one of them the 
 large family Bibles. 
 
 "There were two of these family Bibles in 
 my grandfather's household. The best one 
 contained the records of more recent births, 
 marriages, and deaths; whereas the older one, 
 bound in much worn sheepskin, was in daily use, 
 and on this I was allowed to sit at meals. At 
 breakfast my grandfather always read a chapter 
 from the Bible and said a prayer, and I leaned 
 against his shoulder until the morning devotions 
 were ended. Grandfather and grandmother 
 were an extraordinarily handsome couple; he 
 was the more genial of the two, while she had 
 more reserve and a certain old-school dignity of 
 manner. Grandfather's commanding presence 
 made him a marked figure as he walked about 
 with his ivory-headed cane in his hand, and his 
 carefully brushed black broadcloth suit, the high 
 satin stock and linen collar of earlier days, and 
 always the shining beaver hat." 
 
 This charmingly sketched picture suggests 
 the story of Mrs. McCormick's ancestry and of 
 her early surroundings.
 
 In 1624 John Woodbury left his home in 
 Somersetshire, England, and with his wife, 
 Joanna, came to Salem, Massachusetts, to found 
 a home in the new country. He filled the im- 
 portant offices of constable and treasurer of the 
 little town, was a member of the first Meeting 
 House, and was called aflfectionately "Father 
 Woodbury" by his fellow townsmen. The 
 descendants of John and Joanna Woodbury for 
 four generations lived in Salem or in Beverly. 
 In 1789 one of them, Mehitable Woodbury by 
 name, married Philip Hammond, whose family 
 had early settled in Marblehead. Their first 
 child, Andrew Woodbury Hammond, was Mrs. 
 McCormick's grandfather. His wife was Harriet 
 Bradley, whose first American ancestor, Joseph 
 Bradley, had settled in Haverhill in 1659. 
 
 Andrew and Harriet Hammond had five 
 children, of whom the youngest was George 
 Woodbury Hammond. Like many of his ances- 
 tors before him, this young man also followed the 
 sea, and on one of his voyages, while in command 
 of one of several merchant ships owned jointly 
 by himself and his elder brother, he touched at 
 Newport, Monmouthshire, England. Here he 
 met Emma Young, the daughter of a small 
 English landowner, to whom he was married
 
 in 1861. And it was at Newport, on December 
 21, 1862, that Harriet Bradley Hammond was 
 born. When she was about a year old, her 
 father, Captain Hammond, brought his wife and 
 baby daughter to America, where they lived with 
 his parents at the old family home in Haverhill, 
 Massachusetts. When the little Harriet was 
 five years old, her parents took her with them on 
 a voyage to Bombay, the glories of which left 
 vivid pictures in her mind, which she never 
 wearied of describing to her playmates. 
 
 A girlhood friend has written of her during the 
 time she lived in Haverhill: "I have a joyful 
 memory of the first time I saw Hattie Ham- 
 mond. I was a very little girl, she a big one, and 
 I had been asked to go and spend the afternoon 
 with her. I had been told that she liked little 
 girls and would play with me. I remember that 
 she did play with me all afternoon and I had a 
 most beautiful time. After this first meeting I 
 saw her often until she went to Chicago to live. 
 After each meeting I loved her more, and grad- 
 ually the thought came to me that I wanted to 
 be like her because she gave so much pleasure 
 and was always doing kind and thoughtful things 
 for people, yet she always had a good time and 
 was full of fun and high spirits. I remember
 
 how fair she was when we played games. She 
 would never take any advantage of the rest." 
 
 In January, 1875, when Harriet Hammond 
 was twelve years old, her father died, and 
 she came to Chicago to live with her aunt, 
 Mrs. Elizabeth Hammond Stickney, who 
 adopted her and looked upon her as her own 
 child. Mrs. Hammond, with her two sons, 
 remained in Haverhill for some years, after 
 which she returned to her old home in Newport, 
 England. Of Harriet's advent into Chicago life 
 another girlhood friend has written: "On the 
 north side, within a circle of which Madam 
 McCormick's house on Rush Street might be 
 described as the center, there lived a small and 
 intimate group of children who had been 
 temporarily scattered by the Fire. The 
 neighborhood was very simple in its friendliness, 
 the elders working together for the rebuilding 
 of the city, and their daughters gathering in 
 Miss Kirkland's school, which was then held in 
 the King house. Into this group of children 
 who knew each other well came a new and 
 beautiful girl from the East, and we all felt 
 at once the loveliness of her character as well as 
 of her person. A vivid picture comes to me of 
 Harriet Hammond as she was then, a tall, active
 
 girl, with erect carriage, free swinging step, long 
 yellow braids, blue eyes, and brilliant coloring. 
 She was a real personality." 
 
 This daughter of New England ancestry, 
 with her character already moulded by healthy 
 discipline and deep religious influences, came 
 thus into the city that was to be her home. Mrs. 
 Stickney's ideas of how a young woman should 
 be trained were based upon steadfast New Eng- 
 land principles. These principles made a deep 
 and lasting impression on the young girl's mind, 
 solidifying the foundations of her character and 
 endowing her with a strength of purpose, clear- 
 ness of vision, and calmness of judgment which 
 were to distinguish her in later years. 
 
 The inspiring teaching received at Miss 
 Kirkland's school was supplemented by two 
 years of foreign travel and study under the 
 stimulating guidance of her aunt and in the 
 happy companionship, for much of the time, of 
 three of her dearest friends. These girlhood 
 friendships, strengthened by this experience, 
 continued and deepened through all the years of 
 Mrs. McCormick's life. 
 
 Upon returning to Chicago her life as a 
 young lady began. Of those "youthful days" 
 she once wrote in a letter to a friend: "Auntie
 
 and I continued to travel a great deal. We went 
 South every spring, spent a month in New York 
 every fajl, and attended the theater and opera 
 frequently. Then I had girls come to visit me 
 each summer and sometimes in the winter, and 
 I made delightful visits to them. Auntie was 
 very fond of young people, and often had them 
 at the house." 
 
 At this time she was a rarely beautiful girl. 
 Her beauty of expression enhanced her beauty 
 of form and color. Her tall, slender figure, 
 luxuriant blond hair, and slightly darker, well- 
 defined eyebrows and brilliant complexion made 
 her always a person who attracted attention, and 
 yet she was so lacking in self-consciousness that 
 she never seemed to see the looks of admiration 
 which followed her wherever she went. 
 
 On March 5, 1889, she was married to Cyrus 
 Hall McCormick at the Church of St. Mary's- 
 by-the-Sea, Monterey, California. After some 
 weeks in Hawaii and a summer in Europe, Mr. 
 and Mrs. McCormick purchased the Stickney 
 house on Huron Street, where they established 
 their home. Then followed sixteen happy years 
 unclouded by any deep sorrow. She was her 
 husband's comrade and counsellor, and shared 
 his confidence in the many difficult and absorbing
 
 problems that faced him In the development of a 
 great industry. She was a devoted mother to 
 their three children, Cyrus, Elizabeth, and 
 Gordon, the leading spirit and gay companion 
 in all their games and parties, their wise adviser 
 when problems arose, their confidante when 
 
 troubles came. 
 
 There was a constant and insistent demand 
 from the outside world that she should give 
 more of her time to social and civic affairs, but 
 Mrs. McCormick wisely devoted the larger share 
 of her energies to that which is in the end most 
 precious both to the individual and to society. 
 Her ideals of a home were expressed in tangible 
 form not only in the house in Chicago, with its 
 paintings, its tapestries, and its atmosphere of 
 charm and distinction, but more especially in 
 the beautiful country place of "Walden," in 
 Lake Forest. From the time the family first 
 lived there in 1896, it began to reflect her spirit. 
 Her own nature was simple and direct, and her 
 love of beauty was balanced by a very sane tem- 
 perament. Not wishing to distort or limit any 
 beautiful line in nature, she made it her con- 
 stant study to emphasize simplicity, harmonize 
 colors, balance light and shade, and give its 
 true value to each rich gift of nature. Means
 
 were found to multiply wild flowers in the 
 woods and on the sides of the deep ravines, 
 down which winding paths were traced; wide 
 vistas were cut, and there was never any hes- 
 itation to sacrifice a tree if thereby a greater 
 beauty could be attained. Stiff or formal plant- 
 ing was avoided, and the wide lawns suggested 
 her own gracious and generous personality. The 
 calm and thoughtful elements of her character 
 were symbolized in the majesty and beauty of 
 the woodlands she loved so well. Opposed to 
 anything pretentious or spectacular, Mrs. 
 McCormick achieved in Walden a home that 
 breathed a spirit of hospitality and friendship. 
 All who went there felt a sense of happiness and 
 content, for she had already learned one of the 
 great secrets of life, and knew that to have con- 
 tentment there must be quiet and poise and 
 peace from within. 
 
 It was the possession of this secret that 
 enabled Mrs. McCormick to bear with noble 
 courage the swift parting from her beloved and 
 only daughter, Elizabeth, on January 25, 1905. 
 This poignant but illuminating experience 
 brought to her more clearly the realization that 
 death is not necessarily a separation but rather 
 the revelation of a larger life which is to be lived
 
 on earth. So her interests, instead of narrowing 
 into the channel of her own personal grief, flowed 
 out to others in rich streams of sympathy and 
 intelligent helpfulness. Her intimate experiences 
 of joy and sorrow only enriched her nature and 
 gave her a larger capacity for understanding the 
 joys and sorrows of humanity. 
 
 From this time on, indeed, Mrs. McCormick 
 became more and more an example of one who 
 combinedjwith a deep love of home and a passion- 
 ate devotion to her own children, a vision large 
 enough to include the life of her community in all 
 its finer phases, as well as a comprehension of its 
 needs. The appeal of childhood was the strongest, 
 perhaps, that came to her generous nature, and 
 soon after the death of their daughter, Mr. and 
 Mrs. McCormick began carefully considering 
 what memorial should be made in her name. In 
 1908 the brilliantly promising life of the young 
 girl took expression in the Elizabeth McCormick 
 Memorial Fund. The terms of the foundation 
 are wise and far-seeing. It is not a memorial 
 with architectural limitations of stone or 
 marble, but is a living creation which will 
 respond t^o the needs of little children in all 
 generations. Soon after its inception the Fund 
 began to reach out in many directions — first in
 
 promoting the baby tents in which the children 
 of the crowded tenements received medical 
 and nursing care during the hot summer 
 months; then in establishing the open air and 
 open window school rooms which have since 
 become a feature of schools all over the country; 
 and more recently still in cultivating the pioneer 
 field of nutrition work among school children. 
 In all of its activities, Mrs. McCormick's pains- 
 taking investigations, conscientious judgment, 
 quick imaginative sympathy, and large-hearted 
 vision were indispensable factors. 
 
 This was the central theme of her practical 
 vision, as described in her own words: "The 
 cause of childhood is, or should be, closely bound 
 up with our civic life. By his dreams the child 
 may grow, and may win out in spite of faulty 
 food, inadequate clothing, crowded tenements, or 
 gilded palaces; but his dreams have been un- 
 heeded, his imagination has been stifled, and his 
 castles, many of them, have fallen to the ground. 
 We must open the door of hope to all children. 
 The march of progress will begin when the people 
 as a whole — the nation, the state, the munici- 
 pality — recognize their duty toward the child 
 and endeavor to fulfill it." 
 
 Her eagerness to serve the cause of childhood
 
 also prompted Mrs. McCormick to promote, 
 finance, and assume the leadership of the event- 
 ful Child Welfare Exhibit held in the Coliseum 
 in 1911. Its purpose also is best expressed in her 
 own words, spoken at the time: "Fine as are 
 our agencies seeking to meet the wants of chil- 
 dren, this exhibit impresses our minds with the 
 fact that they are pitiably inadequate. The idea 
 to be kept before the public is that the child 
 welfare work now being done in Chicago, when 
 set over against the tremendous need for it, 
 presents such a disparity that every person who 
 has seen this exhibit goes away with a sense of 
 humiliation, and not of complacency. Now that 
 we know what is left undone for children, we 
 cannot stand still; justice and common sense 
 must direct our energies. What avail our plans 
 for the new Chicago if we have forgotten to plan 
 for its children?" The challenge of the exhibit 
 was accepted; and a far-reaching impetus was 
 given to child welfare activities not only in 
 Chicago but throughout the country. 
 
 Even before Elizabeth's death had quickened 
 her interest in the needs of little children, Mrs. 
 McCormick had a vision of the needs of other 
 unfortunate groups of humanity. In an address 
 on Industrial Betterment Work made before the
 
 General Federation of Women's Clubs at Los 
 Angeles on May 6, 1902, the speaker said, "The 
 introduction of industrial betterment work in 
 one large manufacturing institution in this 
 country was the result of the influence of a 
 woman, and she obtained the idea from the 
 Sociological Exhibit at the Paris Exposition." 
 The woman referred to was Mrs. McCormick, 
 and the story of how she came to encourage 
 this work is best told in her letters, written at 
 the time when her heart was first inspired. 
 
 **In 1897 I chanced to visit the factory one 
 bright, sunny morning. As I passed through 
 those vast rooms, I felt thrilled and overwhelmed 
 with the immensity of the plant, but mingled 
 with these thoughts was solicitude for our grave 
 responsibilities for the future. At noon time I 
 saw between one and two hundred men eating 
 their dinners, crowding into the inadequate 
 shade cast by the high board fence. All the rest 
 of that day I thought more of that picture 
 than of the prosperity of the great plant. As 
 the days went on there would come up before 
 ' me as a haunting picture the memory of those 
 men — I could feel and see again their weary 
 faces and the hot sun, and it seemed to me as if 
 something would have to be done for the vast
 
 army in our employ. Through the attempt 
 which Cyrus and my aunt have made to intro- 
 duce Domestic Science into the public schools of 
 Chicago, I am glad to feel that we are coming 
 into closer touch with some of their children; 
 but my interest, aroused through a close study 
 of Jacob Riis, has made me think more and more 
 of how little is really being done for our em- 
 ployees. 
 
 "Since coming to Paris, the only part of the 
 Exposition I have yet seen is the building 
 devoted to social economics. I have carefully 
 examined the exhibit made in the United States 
 department, and have had several talks with 
 specialists in social service work; and now, con- 
 trary to my policy of non-interference, I feel that 
 I must venture a few suggestions. I should like 
 to see an outward and visible sign of the inward 
 and material growth which has taken place at 
 our works. I should like to see some of those 
 begrimed walls covered with clinging green vines. 
 I do not know whether there is space enough to 
 plant any trees, but I should like to see them 
 growing, as well as grass and flowers and shrub- 
 bery. Then I should like one or two rooms made 
 clean and bright with paint and pictures, and 
 provided with benches and tables where the
 
 men could eat their lunches during the colder 
 weather." 
 
 It was not long after these suggestions were 
 made that welfare work was begun in the 
 Harvester Company, placing it among the 
 pioneers in that branch of industrial betterment. 
 
 The story of Mrs. McCormick's many inter- 
 ests is a long one: she gave time, thought, and 
 financial support to the Young Women's Chris- 
 tian Association, and in critical moments stood 
 stanchly by; she was a loyal friend of theWoman's 
 City Club; she was an active memberof the Visit- 
 ing Nurse Association, and an officer of Its board 
 for many years; she served two years as president 
 of the Fortnightly; she was also for two terms 
 president of the Friday Club; she believed in the 
 cause of equal suffrage and became one of its 
 strong advocates; she was an earnest communi- 
 cant of St. James's Episcopal Church, and also, 
 after her marriage, entered with enthusiasm into 
 the work of Fourth Presbyterian Church; she 
 co-operated with several garden and horticul- 
 tural societies; she contributed generously to 
 clubs representing the best in Arts and Letters; 
 nor did she neglect those which responded to the 
 purely social needs of the community. She felt 
 a personal responsibility toward the McCormick
 
 Theological Seminary, and found frequent oppor- 
 tunities for manifesting her interest in Princeton, 
 the Alma Mater of her husband and her sons. 
 To a life so full it would seem that nothing 
 more could be added, and then came the World 
 War. From the very first she put forth every 
 effort to help. She opened her house to those 
 who pleaded the cause of Belgium; she worked 
 actively for the relief of the stricken kingdom. 
 Then came in turn France, Italy, Serbia. All 
 countries and any work to alleviate suffering 
 received from her a quick, intelligent response. 
 She worked untiringly to summon audiences so 
 that the cry for help should never go unheard. 
 Then we entered the war. She was one of the 
 first in Chicago to see the necessity for women 
 to organize in order to meet the demands of war 
 service. She became treasurer of the Woman's 
 Committee of the Council of Defense, Illinois 
 Division. She pleaded the cause of war economy 
 in public; she changed her entire mode of living 
 at home in keeping with the conservation pro- 
 gram; she kept two houses open — one in Chicago 
 and one in Rockford, at Camp Grant — where 
 hospitality was extended to those needing cheer, 
 from young homesick soldiers to international 
 envoys. Her heart was so stirred with patriot-
 
 ism and sympathy that she scarcely gave a 
 thought to her personal needs. Although her 
 work absorbed long days each week, beginning 
 at seven and often lasting until late evening 
 hours, she never relaxed, going from one duty or 
 meeting to another unceasingly, unflinchingly. 
 Multiplied activities quickened her vision; it 
 was at her home in Lake Forest that the first 
 meeting was held outside of New York to organ- 
 ize the war- work program of the Young Women's 
 Christian Association; it was the Elizabeth 
 McCormick Memorial Fund that led in the work 
 for children imder the Council of Defense in 
 Illinois. 
 
 As a leader in war work, Mrs. McCormick 
 made many addresses. In these she constantly 
 emphasized the need of united effort, of sacrifice, 
 and of devoted patriotism: **We ought to stand 
 back of the boys of Illinois who have entered the 
 service, not because of personal interest in the 
 one particular unit to which our own boys 
 belong, but as one united body of women of 
 Illinois behind every man from this State who 
 has gone to fight." .... "Do not let us meas- 
 ure our gifts or ourselves by the low standards 
 of a pre-war patriotism, by simply giving what 
 we do not need or can easily spare, but by the
 
 exalted standards of the heroic women of Europe, 
 who are giving of their treasure in men and 
 money and services without Hmit. Let us realize 
 that we have work to do, and that it takes both 
 personal effort and money to accomplish it, and 
 let us see to it that we contribute generously to 
 alleviate suffering abroad, as well as to carry on 
 the defense work at home." .... "Many of 
 us are pitying ourselves because we have had a 
 husband, a brother, or a son leave home to go 
 into military service. We forget that this sacri- 
 fice is for something so much bigger than any of 
 our personal affections that our personalities 
 sink into insignificance in comparison to the 
 service for our beloved country.** 
 
 When the armistice was signed, Mrs. 
 McCormick did not relax her efforts. As vice- 
 chairman of the United War Work Campaign, 
 she urged: "Do not let the thought of peace 
 overshadow the crying needs and comforts of 
 those who have played such a big part in making 
 peace possible. The task of carrying out the 
 terms of the armistice and seeing that it is lived 
 up to is a staggering one." .... "The time 
 has come when we must live for an ideal, and we 
 have to prepare our bodies and souls for it; and 
 this preparation is going to be all the harder
 
 because we have no longer the spur and din of 
 the battle line to inspire us. We cannot have 
 our boys come back here and find us living and 
 talking just as if there had never been a war. 
 Let us take up our duties and responsibilities and 
 obligations, and fight the good fight before they 
 come." .... **We now have the greatest 
 opportunity that any people has ever had in the 
 history of the world. We have a chance to work 
 now, not in order that men may fight, which 
 means destruction, but that men and women 
 may fight for reconstruction." 
 
 When presiding at a luncheon given in the 
 interests of the Young Women's Christian Asso- 
 ciation in May of 1919, she said: "We have felt 
 in our war service the joy of self-forgetfulness, 
 of devotion to duty, and we must conserve the 
 spirit that has glorified this war. We must 
 realize that the world is still facing problems as 
 great and as difficult as beating Germany. There 
 are big tasks ahead of us for the welfare of 
 humanity. Sometimes they have very homely 
 faces and commonplace names: Social Welfare, 
 Social Justice, Harmony between Capital and 
 Labor, Good Government in City, State, and 
 Nation. In brief, humanity calls us to organize 
 an army of militant righteousness for fighting
 
 the evils of the world and promoting the King- 
 dom of God which is within us." 
 
 And so, up to the very end of her life, her 
 horizon kept widening; her eager eyes were ever 
 seeking new and wise ways of lightening the 
 heavy burdens of humanity; her helpful hands 
 were ever outstretched to give and to soothe. 
 She had built up her home with wifely tenderness 
 and motherly devotion, and then, simply, with 
 no self-consciousness, in answer to the urging 
 inspiration of grief, she had gone out into the 
 larger sphere and made the city's children her 
 children too. Its varying needs found an echo 
 in her heart, and to them she responded gener- 
 ously, gallantly, as becomes a great citizen. 
 
 Her life, like that of her beloved daughter 
 Elizabeth, was as "a stream that deepened and 
 broadened, becoming stronger and sweeter with 
 every year until it passed into the infinite ocean 
 of Divine Love that fills Eternity." 
 
 The inspiration to others in such a life is the 
 realization that what made it radiant was not the 
 number of things that were accomplished, not 
 the organizations perfected and set in motion, 
 but the unquenchable glow that seemed to 
 come from an inner fire divinely fed — divinely 
 fed because at the center of her life was a deep
 
 reverence for the spiritual truth of humanity, 
 an elemental simplicity that enabled her to 
 choose beauty and right instinctively, and a 
 profound faith in God.
 
 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
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