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important, and they brought a part of the choir. They sang a hymn or so, sort of banked off at the sides of the room.
There was no altar set up, but the usual prie-Dieu and seats for the clergy and a little lectern were laid out for them, where they could read the Scriptures and read the prayers. It was very impressive. It was really a very beautiful little service, because it was very heartfelt, and I mean the whole place was shaken because - well, I mean we were in the middle of war, and the President didn't look too well, and yet he looked better than he did two or three hours later when he was inaugurated at noon. This was in the morning. This was 10:00 o'clock, we'll say.
He, of course, could never kneel, never attempted to, but he bent over and put his head in his hands and listened to the prayers reverently, and he remained in that position a considerable time after the Bishop had given us his blessing. Of course, nobody stirred. Everybody remained kneeling and so forth. But one or two people began to get up, you see. The service was over and the clergy were about to go out. And the President remained, apparently praying, and then he sort of shook himself and sat up. Mrs. Roosevelt rose then, and started to go out, and the clergy went out and the choir and everybody went out.
But a few people went up to speak to him, and I was sitting very close by his, just one or two rows back on the opposite side of the little aisle. I wanted to say something very personal to him, that was all. And I went up and said -
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