theodore roosevelt-第3章

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

Venice。　〃We　saw　a　palace　of　the　doges。　It　looks　like　a　palace　you　could　be　comfortable　and　snug　in　（which　is　not　usual）We　went　to　another　church　in　which　Conie　jumped　over　tombstones　spanked　me　banged　Ellies　head　&c。〃

〃Conie〃　was　his　nickname　for　his　younger　sister　Corinne。*

*　She　subsequently　married　Mr。　Douglas　Robinson。


November　22。　〃In　the　evening　Mama　showed　me　the　portrait　of　Eidieth　Carow　and　her　face　stirred　up　in　me　homesickness　and　longings　for　the　past　which　will　come　again　never　aback　never。〃

The　little　girl；　the　sight　of　whose　portrait　stirred　such　longings　for　the　past　in　the　heart　of　the　young　Theodore；　was　Edith　Carow；　the　special　playmate　of　his　sister　Conie　and　one　of　the　intimate　group　whom　he　had　always　known。　Years　later　she　became　his　wife。

The　Roosevelt　family　returned　to　New　York　in　May；　1870；　and　resumed　its　ordinary　life。　Theodore；　whom　one　of　his　fellow　travelers　on　the　steamer　remembers　as　〃a　tall　thin　lad　with　bright　eyes　and　legs　like　pipestems；〃　developed　rapidly　in　mind；　but　the　asthma　still　tormented　him　and　threatened　to　make　a　permanent　invalid　of　him。　His　father　fitted　up　in　the　house　in　Twentieth　Street　a　small　gymnasium　and　said　to　the　boy　in　substance；　〃You　have　brains；　but　you　have　a　sickly　body。　In　order　to　make　your　brains　bring　you　what　they　ought；　you　must　build　up　your　body；　it　depends　upon　you。〃　The　boy　felt　both　the　obligation　and　the　desire；　he　willed　to　be　strong；　and　he　went　through　his　gymnastic　exercises　with　religious　precision。　What　he　read　in　his　books　about　knights　and　paladins　and　heroes　had　always　greatly　moved　his　imagination。　He　wanted　to　be　like　them。　He　understood　that　the　one　indispensable　attribute　common　to　all　of　them　was　bodily　strength。　Therefore　he　would　be　strong。　Through　all　his　suffering　he　was　patient　and　determined。　But　I　recall　no　other　boy；　enfeebled　by　a　chronic　and　often　distressing　disease；　who　resolved　as　he　did　to　conquer　his　enemy　by　a　wisely　planned　and　unceasing　course　of　exercises。

Improvement　came　slowly。　Many　were　the　nights　in　which　he　spent　hours　gasping　for　breath。　Sometimes　on　summer　nights　his　father　would　wrap　him　up　and　take　him　on　a　long　drive　through　the　darkness　in　search　of　fresh　air。　But　no　matter　how　hard　the　pinch；　the　boy　never　complained；　and　when　ever　there　was　a　respite　his　vivacity　burst　forth　as　fresh　as　ever。　He　could　not　attend　school　with　other　boys　and；　indeed；　his　realization　that　he　could　not　meet　them　on　equal　physical　terms　made　him　timid　when　he　was　thrown　with　them。　So　he　pursued　his　own　tastes　with　all　the　more　zeal。　He　read　many　books；　some　of　which　seemed　beyond　a　boy's　ken；　but　he　got　something　from　each　of　them。　His　power　of　concentration　already　surprised　his　family。　If　he　was　absorbed　in　a　chapter；　nothing　which　went　on　outside　of　him；　either　noise　or　interruption；　could　distract　his　attention。　His　passion　for　natural　his　tory　increased。　At　the　age　of　ten；　he　opened　in　one　of　the　rooms　of　his　home　〃The　Roosevelt　Museum　of　Natural　History。〃　Later；　he　devoted　himself　more　particularly　to　birds；　and　learned　from　a　taxidermist　how　to　skin　and　stuff　his　specimens。

In　1873；　President　Grant　appointed　Mr。　Roosevelt　a　Commissioner　to　the　Vienna　Exposition　and　the　Roosevelt　family　made　another　foreign　tour。　Hoping　to　benefit　Theodore's　asthma　they　went　to　Algiers；　and　up　the　Nile；　where　he　was　much　more　interested　in　the　flocks　of　aquatic　fowl　than　in　the　half…buried　temples　of　Dendera　or　the　obelisks　and　pylons　of　Karnak。　He　even　makes　no　mention　of　the　Pyramids；　but　records　with　enthusiasm　that　he　found　at　Cairo　a　book　by　an　English　clergyman；　whose　name　he　forgot；　on　the　ornithology　of　the　Nile；　which　greatly　helped　him。　Incidentally；　he　says　that　from　the　Latin　names　of　the　birds　he　made　his　first　acquaintance　with　that　language。　While　Mr。　Roosevelt　attended　to　his　duties　in　Vienna　the　younger　children　were　placed　in　the　family　of　Herr　Minckwitz；　a　Government　official　at　Dresden。　There；　Theodore；　〃in　spite　of　himself；〃　learned　a　good　deal　of　German；　and　he　never　forgot　his　pleasant　life　among　the　Saxons　in　the　days　be　fore　the　virus　of　Prussian　barbarism　had　poisoned　all　the　non…Prussian　Germans。　Minckwitz　had　been　a　Liberal　in　the　Revolution　of　1848；　a　fact　which　added　to　Theodore's　interest　in　him。

On　getting　home；　Theodore；　who　was　fifteen　years　old；　set　to　work　seriously　to　fit　himself　to　enter　Harvard　College。　Up　to　this　time　his　education　had　been　unmethodical；　leaving　him　behind　his　fellows　in　some　subjects　and　far　ahead　of　them　in　others。　He　had　the　good　fortune　now　to　secure　as　a　tutor　Mr。　Arthur　H。　Cutler；　for　many　years　head　of　the　Cutler　Preparatory　School　in　New　York　City；　thanks　to　whose　excellent　training　he　was　able　to　enter　college　in　1876。　During　these　years　of　preparation　Theodore's　health　steadily　improved。　He　had　a　gun　and　was　an　ardent　sportsman；　the　incentive　of　adding　specimens　to　his　collection　of　birds　and　animals　outweighing　the　mere　sport　of　slaughter。　At　Oyster　Bay；　where　his　father　first　leased　a　house　in　1874；　he　spent　much　of　his　time　on　the　water；　but　he　deemed　sailing　rather　lazy　and　unexciting；　compared　with　rowing。　He　enjoyed　taking　his　row…boat　out　into　the　Sound；　and；　if　a　high　headwind　was　blowing；　or　the　sea　ran　in　whitecaps；　so　much　the　better。　He　was　now　able　to　share　in　all　of　the　athletic　pastimes　of　his　companions；　although；　so　far　as　I　know；　he　never　indulged　in　baseball；　the　commonest　game　of　all。

When　he　entered　Harvard　as　a　Freshman　in　1876；　that　institution　was　passing　through　its　transition　from　college　to　university；　which　had　begun　when　Charles　W。　Eliot　became　its　President　seven　years　before。　In　spite　of　vehement　assaults；　the　Great　Educator　pushed　on　his　reform　slowly　but　resistlessly。　He　needed　to　train　not　only　the　public　but　many　members；　perhaps　a　majority；　of　his　faculty。　Young　Roosevelt　found　a　body　of　eight　hundred　undergraduates；　the　largest　number　up　to　that　time。　While　the　Elective　System　had　been　introduced　in　the　upper　classes；　Freshmen　and　Sophomores　were　still　required　to　take　the　courses　prescribed　for　them。

To　one　who　looks　back；　after　forty　years；　on　the　Harvard　of　that　time　there　was　much　about　it；　the　loss　of　which　must　be　regretted。　Limited　in　many　directions　it　was；　no　doubt；　but　its　very　limitations　made　for　friendship　and　for　that　sense　of　intimate　mutual；　relationship；　out　of　which　springs　mutual　affection。　You　belonged　to　Harvard；　and　she　to　you。　That　she　was　small；　compared　with　her　later　magnitude；　no　more　lessened　your　love　for　her；　than　your　love　for　your　own　mother　could　be　increased　were　she　suddenly　to　become　a　giantess。　The　undergraduate　community　was　not　exactly　a　large　family；　but　it　was；　nevertheless；　restricted　enough　not　only　for　a　fellow　to　know　at　least　by　sight　all　of　his　classmates；　but　also　to　have　some　knowledge　of　what　was　going　on　in　other　classes　as　well　as　in　the　College　as　a　whole。　Academic　fame；　too；　had　a　better　chance　then　than　it　has　now。　There　were　eight　or　ten　professors；　whom　most　of　the　fellows　knew　by　sight；　and　all　by　reputation；　now；　however；　I　meet　intelligent　students　who　have　never　heard　even　the　name　of　the　head　of　some　department　who　is　famous　throughout　the　world　among　his　colleagues；　but　whose　courses　that　student　has　never　taken。

In　spite　of　the　simplicity　and　the　homelikeness　of　the　Harvard　with　eight　hundred　undergraduates；　however；　it　was　large　enough　to　afford　the　opportunity　of　meeting　men　of　many　different　tastes　and　men　from　all　parts　of　the　country。　So　it　gave　free　play　to　the　development　of　individual　talents；　and　its　standard　of　scholarship　was　already　sufficiently　high　to　ensure　the　excellence　of　the　best　scholars　it　trained。　One　quality　which　we　probably　took　little　note　of；　although　it　must　have　affected　us　all；　sprang　from　the　fact　that　Harvard　was　still　a　crescent　institution；　she　was　in　the　full　vigor　of　growth；　of　expansion；　of　increase；　and　we　shared　insensibly　from　being　connected　with　that　growth。　In　retrospect　now；　and　giving　due　recognition　to　this　crescent　spirit；　I　recall　that；　in　spite　of　it；　Omar　Khayyam　was　the　favorite　poet　of　many　of　us；　that　introspection；　which　sometimes　deepened　into　pessimism；　was　in　vogue；　and　that　a　spiritual　or　philosophic　languorous　disenchantment　sicklied　o'er　the　somewhat　mottled　cast　of　our　thought。

Roosevelt　took　rooms　at　No。　16　Winthrop　Street；　a　quiet　little　lane　midway　between　the　College　Yard　and　Charles　River；　where　he　could　pursue　his　hobbies　without　incessant　interruption　from　casual　droppers…in。　Here　he　kept　the　specimens　which　he　went　on　collecting；　some　livea　large　turtle　and　two　or　three　harmless　snakes；　for　instanceand　some　dead　and　stuffed。　He　was　no　〃grind〃；　the　gods　take　care　not　to　mix　even　a　drop　of　pedantry　in　the　make…up　of　the　rare　men　whom　they　destine　for　great　deeds　or　fine　works。　Theodore　was　already　so　much　stronger　in　his　health　that　he　went　on　to　get　still　more　strength。　He　had　regular　lessons　in　boxing。　He　took　long　walks　and　studied　the　flora　and　fauna　of　the　country　round　Cambridge　in　his　amateurish　but　intense　way。　During　his　first　Christmas　vacation；　he　went　down　to　the　Maine　Woods　and　camped　out；　and　there　he　met　Bill　Sewall；　a　famous　guide；　who　remained　Theodore's　friend　through　life；　and　Wilmot　Dow；　Sewall's　nephew；　another　woodsman；　and　this　trip；　subsequently　followed　by　others；　did　much　good　to　his　physique。　He　still　had　occasional　attacks　of　asthmahe　〃guffled〃　as　Bill　Sewall　called　itand　they　were　sometimes　acute；　but　his　tendency　to　them　slowly　wore　away。

All　his　days　Roosevelt　was　proud　of　being　a　Harvard　man。　Even　in　the　period　when　academic　Harvard　was　most　critical　of　his　public　acts；　he　never　wavered　in　his　devotion　to　Alma　Mater　herself；　that　dear　and　lovely　Being；　who；　like　the　ideal　of　our　country；　lives　on　to　inspire　us　in　spite　of　unsympathetic　administrations　and　unloved　leaders。

〃The　One　remains；　the　many　change　and　pass。〃

Nevertheless；　in　his　〃Autobiography；〃　Theodore　makes　very　scant　record　of　his　college　life。　〃I　thoroughly　enjoyed　Harvard；〃　he　says；　〃and　I　am　sure　it　did　me　good；　but　only　in　the　general　effect；　for　there　was　very　little　in　my　actual　studies　which　helped　me　in　after　life。〃　*　Like　nine　out　of　ten　men　who　look　back　on　college　he　could　make　no　definite　estimate　of　the　actual　gains　from　those　four　years；　but　it　is　precisely　the　indefiniteness；　the　elusiveness　of　the　college　experience　which　marks　its　worth。　This　is　not　to　be　reckoned　financially　by　an　increase　in　dollars　and　cents；　or　intellectually；　by　so　many　added　foot…pounds　of　knowledge。　Harvard　College　was　of　inestimable　benefit　to　Roosevelt；　because　it　enabled　him　to　find　himselfto　be　a　man　with　his　fellow　men。

*Autobiography；　27。


During　his　youth　his　physical　handicap　had　rather　cut　him　off　from　companionship　on　equal　terms　with　his　fellows。　Now；　however；　he　could　enter　with　zest　in　their　sports　and　societies。　At　the　very　beginning　of　his　Freshman　year　he　showed　his　classmates　his　mettle。　During　the　presidential　torchlight　parade　when　the　jubilant　Freshmen　were　marching　for　Hayes；　some　Tilden　man　shouted　derisively　at　them　from　a　second…story　window　and