theodore roosevelt-第2章

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　or　might　easily　become；　ruffians。　The　books　on　which　he　fed　his　young　mind　were　very　few；　not　more　than　five　or　six；　but　they　were　the　best。　And　yet　in　spite　of　these　handicaps；　Abraham　Lincoln　rose　to　be　the　leader　and　example　of　the　American　Nation　during　its　most　perilous　crisis；　and　the　ideal　Democrat　of　the　nineteenth　century。

Theodore　Roosevelt；　on　the　contrary；　was　born　in　New　York　City；　enjoyed　every　advantage　in　education　and　training；　his　family　had　been　for　many　generations　respected　in　the　city；　his　father　was　cultivated　and　had　distinction　as　a　citizen；　who　devoted　his　wealth　and　his　energies　to　serving　his　fellow　men。　But；　just　as　incredible　adversity　could　not　crush　Abraham　Lincoln；　so　lavish　prosperity　could　not　keep　down　or　spoil　Theodore　Roosevelt。

In　his　〃Autobiography〃　he　tells　us　that　〃about　1644　his　ancestor；　Claes　Martensen　van　Roosevelt；　came　to　New　Amsterdam　as　a　'settler'the　euphemistic　name　for　an　immigrant　who　came　over　in　the　steerage　of　a　sailing　ship　in　the　seventeenth　century。　From　that　time　for　the　next　seven　generations　from　father　to　son　every　one　of　us　was　born　on　Manhattan　Island。〃　*　For　over　a　hundred　years　the　Roosevelts　continued　to　be　typical　Dutch　burghers　in　a　hard…working；　God…fearing；　stolid　Dutch　way；　each　leaving　to　his　son　a　little　more　than　he　had　inherited。　During　the　Revolution；　some　of　the　family　were　in　the　Continental　Army；　but　they　won　no　high　honors；　and　some　of　them　sat　in　the　Congresses　of　that　generationsat；　and　were　honest；　but　did　not　shine。　Theodore's　great…grandfather　seems　to　have　amassed　what　was　regarded　in　those　days　as　a　large　fortune。

*　Autobiography；　1。


His　grandfather；　Cornelius　Van　Schaack　Roosevelt；　a　glass　importer　and　banker；　added　to　his　inheritance；　but　was　more　than　a　mere　money…maker。

His　son　Theodore；　born　in　1831；　was　the　father　of　the　President。　Inheriting　sufficient　means　to　live　in　great　comfort；　not　to　say　in　luxury；　he　nevertheless　engaged　in　business；　but　he　had　a　high　sense　of　the　obligation　which　wealth　lays　on　its　possessors。　And　so；　instead　of　wasting　his　life　in　merely　heaping　up　dollars；　he　dedicated　it　to　spending　wisely　and　generously　those　which　he　had。　There　was　nothing　puritanical；　however；　in　his　way　of　living。　He　enjoyed　the　normal；　healthy　pleasures　of　his　station。　He　drove　his　coach　and　four　and　was　counted　one　of　the　best　whips　in　New　York。　Taking　his　paternal　responsibilities　seriously；　he　implanted　in　his　children　lively　respect　for　discipline　and　duty；　but　he　kept　very　near　to　their　affection；　so　that　he　remained　throughout　their　childhood；　and　after　they　grew　up；　their　most　intimate　friend。

What　finer　tribute　could　a　son　pay　than　this　which　follows？

'My　father；　Theodore　Roosevelt；　was　the　best　man　I　ever　knew。　He　combined　strength　and　courage　with　gentleness；　tenderness；　and　great　unselfishness。　He　would　not　tolerate　in　us　children　selfishness　or　cruelty；　idleness；　cowardice；　or　untruthfulness。　As　we　grew　older　he　made　us　understand　that　the　same　standard　of　clean　living　was　demanded　for　the　boys　as　for　the　girls；　that　what　was　wrong　in　a　woman　could　not　be　right　in　a　man。　With　great　love　and　patience　and　the　most　understanding　sympathy　and　consideration　he　combined　insistence　on　discipline。　He　never　physically　punished　me　but　once；　but　he　was　the　only　man　of　whom　I　was　ever　really　afraid。'　*

*Autobiography；　16。


Thus　the　President；　writing　nearly　forty　years　after　his　father's　death。　His　mother　was　Martha　Bulloch；　a　member　of　an　old　Southern　family；　one　of　her　ancestors　having　been　the　first　Governor　of　Georgia。　During　the　Civil　War；　while　Mr。　Roosevelt　was　busy　raising　regiments；　supporting　the　Sanitary　Commission；　and　doing　whatever　a　non…combatant　patriot　could　do　to　uphold　the　Union；　Mrs。　Roosevelt's　heart　allegiance　went　with　the　South；　and　to　the　end　of　her　life　she　was　never　〃reconstructed。〃　But　this　conflict　of　loyalties　caused　no　discord　in　the　Roosevelt　family　circle。　Her　two　brothers　served　in　the　Confederate　Navy。　One　of　them；　James　Bulloch；　〃a　veritable　Colonel　Newcome；〃　was　an　admiral　and　directed　the　construction　of　the　privateer　Alabama。　The　other；　Irvine；　a　midshipman　on　that　vessel；　fired　the　last　gun　in　its　fight　with　the　Kearsarge　before　the　Alabama　sank。　After　the　war　both　of　them　lived　in　Liverpool　and　〃Uncle　Jimmy〃　became　a　rabid　Tory。　He　〃was　one　of　the　best　men　I　have　ever　known；〃　writes　his　nephew　Theodore；　〃and　when　I　have　sometimes　been　tempted　to　wonder　how　good　people　can　believe　of　me　the　unjust　and　impossible　things　they　do　believe；　I　have　consoled　myself　by　thinking　of　Uncle　Jimmy　Bulloch's　perfectly　sincere　conviction　that　Gladstone　was　a　man　of　quite　exceptional　and　nameless　infamy　in　both　public　and　private　life。〃

Theodore　Roosevelt　grew　up　to　be　not　only　a　stanch　but　an　uncompromising　believer　in　the　Union　Cause；　but　the　fact　that　his　parents　came　from　the　North　and　from　the　South；　and　that；　from　his　earliest　memory；　the　Southern　kindred　were　held　in　affection　in　his　home；　must　have　helped　him　towards　that　non…sectional；　all…American　point　of　view　which　was　the　cornerstone　of　his　patriotic　creed。

The　Roosevelt　house　was　situated　at　No。　28　East　Twentieth　Street；　New　York　City；　and　there　Theodore　was　born　on　October　27；　1858。　He　passed　his　boyhood　amid　the　most　wholesome　family　life。　Besides　his　brother　Elliott　and　two　sisters；　as　his　Uncle　Robert　lived　next　door；　there　were　cousins　to　play　with　and　a　numerous　kindred　to　form　the　background　of　his　young　life。　He　was；　fortunately；　not　precocious；　for　the　infant　prodigies　of　seven；　who　become　the　amazing　omniscients　of　twenty…three；　are　seldom　heard　of　at　thirty。　He　learned　very　early　to　read；　and　his　sisters　remember　that　when　he　was　still　in　starched　white　petticoats；　with　a　curl　carefully　poised　on　top　of　his　head；　he　went　about　the　house　lugging　a　thick；　heavy　volume　of　Livingstone's　〃Travels〃　and　asking　some　one　to　tell　him　about　the　〃foraging　ants〃　described　by　the　explorer。　At　last　his　older　sister　found　the　passage　in　which　the　little　boy　had　mistaken　〃foregoing〃　for　〃foraging。〃　No　wonder　that　in　his　mature　years　he　became　an　advocate　of　reformed　spelling。　His　sense　of　humor；　which　flashed　like　a　mountain　brook　through　all　his　later　intercourse　and　made　it　delightful；　seems　to　have　begun　with　his　infancy。　He　used　to　say　his　prayers　at　his　mother's　knee；　and　one　evening　when　he　was　out　of　sorts　with　her；　he　prayed　the　Lord　to　bless　the　Union　Cause；　knowing　her　Southern　preferences　he　took　this　humorous　sort　of　vengeance　on　her。　She；　too；　had　humor　and　was　much　amused；　but　she　warned　him　that　if　he　repeated　such　impropriety　at　that　solemn　moment；　she　should　tell　his　father。

Theodore　and　the　other　children　had　a　great　fondness　for　pets；　and　their　aunt；　Mrs。　Robert；　possessed　several　of　unusual　kindspheasants　and　peacocks　which　strutted　about　the　back　yard　and　a　monkey　which　lived　on　the　back　piazza。　They　were　afraid　of　him；　although　they　doubtless　watched　his　antics　with　a　fearful　joy。　From　the　accounts　which　survive；　life　in　the　nursery　of　the　young　Roosevelts　must　have　been　a　perpetual　play…time；　but　through　it　all　ran　the　invisible　formative　influence　of　their　parents；　who　had　the　art　of　shaping　the　minds　and　characters　of　the　little　people　without　seeming　to　teach。

Almost　from　infancy　Theodore　suffered　from　asthma；　which　made　him　physically　puny；　and　often　prevented　him　from　lying　down　when　he　went　to　bed。　But　his　spirit　did　not　droop。　His　mental　activity　never　wearied　and　he　poured　out　endless　stories　to　the　delight　of　his　brother　and　sisters。　〃My　earliest　impressions　of　my　brother　Theodore；〃　writes　his　sister；　Mrs。　Robinson；　〃are　of　a　rather　small；　patient；　suffering　little　child；　who；　in　spite　of　his　suffering；　was　the　acknowledged　head　of　the　nursery　。。。。　These　stories；〃　she　adds；　〃almost　always　related　to　strange　and　marvelous　animal　adventures；　in　which　the　animals　were　personalities　quite　as　vivid　as　Kipling　gave　to　the　world　a　generation　later　in　his　'Jungle　Books。'〃

Owing　to　his　delicate　health　Theodore　did　not　attend　school；　except　for　a　little　while；　when　he　went　to　Professor　MacMullen's　Academy　on　Twentieth　Street。　He　was　taught　at　home　and　he　probably　got　more　from　his　reading　than　from　his　teachers。　By　the　time　he　was　ten；　the　passion　for　omnivorous　reading　which　frequently　distinguishes　boys　who　are　physically　handicapped；　began　in　him。　He　devoured　Our　Young　Folks；　that　excellent　periodical　on　which　many　of　the　boys　and　girls　who　were　his　contemporaries　fed。　He　loved　tales　of　travel　and　adventure；　he　loved　Cooper's　stories；　and　especially　books　on　natural　history。

In　summer　the　children　spent　the　long　days　out　of　doors　at　some　country　place；　and　there；　in　addition　to　the　pleasure　of　being　continuously　with　nature；　they　had　the　sports　and　games　adapted　to　their　age。　Theodore　was　already　making　collections　of　stones　and　other　specimens　after　the　haphazard　fashion　of　boys。　The　young　naturalist　sometimes　met　with　unexpected　difficulties。　Once；　for　instance；　he　found　a　litter　of　young　white　mice；　which　he　put　in　the　ice…chest　for　safety。　His　mother　came　upon　them；　and；　in　the　interest　Of　good　housekeeping；　she　threw　them　away。　When　Theodore　discovered　it　he　flew　into　a　tantrum　and　protested　that　what　hurt　him　most　was　〃the　loss　to　Science！　the　loss　to　Science！〃　On　another　occasion　Science　suffered　a　loss　of　unknown　extent　owing　to　his　obligation　to　manners。　He　and　his　cousin　had　filled　their　pockets　and　whatever　bags　they　had　with　specimens。　Then　they　came　upon　two　toads；　of　a　strange　and　new　variety。　Having　no　more　room　left；　each　boy　put　one　of　them　on　top　of　his　head　and　clapped　down　his　hat。　All　went　well　till　they　met　Mrs。　Hamilton　Fish；　a　great　lady　to　whom　they　had　to　take　off　their　hats。　Down　jumped　the　toads　and　hopped　away；　and　Science　was　never　able　to　add　the　Bufo　Rooseveltianus　to　its　list　of　Hudson　Valley　reptiles。

In　1869　Mr。　Roosevelt　took　his　family　to　Europe　for　a　year。　The　children　did　not　care　to　go；　and　from　the　start　Theodore　was　homesick　and　little　interested。　Of　course；　picture　galleries　meant　nothing　to　a　boy　of　ten；　with　a　naturalist's　appetite；　and　he　could　not　know　enough　about　history　to　be　impressed　by　historic　places　and　monuments。　He　kept　a　diary　from　which　Mr。　Hagedorn*　prints　many　amusing　entries；　some　of　which　I　quote：

*　H。　Hagedorn：　The　Boy's　Life　of　Theodore　Roosevelt。　Harper　&　Bros。　1918。


Munich；　October。　〃In　the　night　I　had　a　nightmare　dreaming　that　the　devil　was　carrying　me　away　and　had　collorer　morbos　（a　sickness　that　is　not　very　dangerous）　but　Mama　patted　me　with　her　delicate　fingers。〃

Little　Conie　also　kept　a　diary：　the　next　entry　is　from　it：

Paris。　〃I　am　so　glad　Mama　has　let　me　stay　in　the　butiful　hotel　parlor　while　the　poor　boys　have　been　dragged　off　to　the　orful　picture　galary。〃

Now　Theodore　again：

Paris；　November　26。　〃I　stayed　in　the　house　all　day；　varying　the　day　with　brushing　my　hair；　washing　my　hands　and　thinking　in　fact　haveing　a　verry　dull　time。〃

〃Nov。　27。　I　Did　the　same　thing　as　yesterday。〃

Chamounix。　〃I　found　several　specimens　to　keep　and　we　went　on　the　great　glacier　called　'Mother　of　ice！'〃

〃We　went　to　our　cousins　school　at　Waterloo。　We　had　a　nice　time　but　met　Jeff　Davises　son　and　some　sharp　words　ensued。〃