Show A presidents attendance caused flurry of excitement in church one sunday during the summer of 1917 the president suggested that we drive quietly over to virginia and attend the service at the pohick church which was the place of worship of george washington when we arrived the little edifice was well filled mr wilson my brother randolph and I 1 were escorted to the washington pew given prayer books and left to ourselves the service over we were accompanied to the door by a member of the vestry and permitted to depart without any of the crowding about which usually attends the appearance of a president in public also I 1 was impressed by the large congregation for it was raining afterwards mr jervis one of the secret service men asked may I 1 tell you a story follow ing is the story as jervis related it knowing our plans mr jervis had reached the church at finding it closed and not a soul about at the nearest house he inquired whether there was to be a service the man did not know but said that the preacher was holding sunday school at his own home and that jervis might inquire of him at the ministers house mr jervis found a young man instructing a group 0 of f barefoot girls and boys jervis asked the man whether there would be a service at the church because the president had intended to come the president of what asked the clergyman of the united states replied jervis the minister looked at his caller sorrowfully young man are you ill he asked jervis showed his badge adding that the president and mrs wilson were due in an hour the minister clapped his hands children sunday school is dismissed all of you run home and tell your fathers and mothers the president Is is coming to church and I 1 want a good congregation to welcome him then he turned to jervis young man I 1 must shave you run over to the church and tell the sexton to ring the bell vigorously at the church jervis found the old sexton opening the door he gave the ministers message the sextons sex tons mouth stood open for a minute then he said here you ring that bell its just outside in a tree I 1 got to go home and shave edith boiling wilson in the saturday evening post |