theodore roosevelt-第3章

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hich　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。〃

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。