I have just read a delightful book about the fabulous relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and his six children. President Roosevelt truly delighted in life and in his children. We might have had greater presidents (not many) but I doubt whether we ever had such an engaging father. In 1919 shortly after his death a best-selling book containing his letters to his children was printed. In the book that I read one must understand while Ethel and Theodore Roosevelt engaged in a whole range of activities with their children, they carefully thought about the repercussions of such activity.

 

Archie and Quentin    Oyster Bay, May 7, 1901 Archie and Quentin were two of the younger of Mr. Roosevelt’s six children. Ted was his oldest son.

 

Blessed Ted:

 

Recently I have gone in to play with Archie and Quentin, after they have gone to bed, and they have grown to expect me, jumping up, very soft and warm in their tummies (expression for pajamas), expecting me to role them over on the bed and tickle and “grabble” in them. However, it has proved rather too exciting, and an edict has gone forth that hereafter I must play bear with them before supper and give up the play when they have gone to bed. Today was Archie’s birthday, and Quentin resented Archie having presents while Quentin had none. With the appalling frankness of a three-year-old, he remarked with great sincerity that “it made him miserable,” and when taken to task for his lack of altruistic spirit he expressed an obviously perfunctory repentance and said. “Well, boys must lend boy things, at any rate!”

 

Youthful Bible Commentaries                                          Oyster Bay, Dec. 8 1900

 

The other day I listened to a most amusing dialogue at the Bible lesson between Kermit and Ethel (Ethel was Mr. Roosevelt’s second daughter). The subject was Joseph and just before reading it they had been reading Quentin’s book containing the adventures of the Gollywogs. Joseph’s conduct in repeating his dream to his brothers, whom it was certain to irritate, had struck both of the children unfavorable, as conflicting with the laws of commonsense and with the advice given by their parents as to the proper method of dealing with their own brothers and sisters. Kermit said, “Well, I think that was very foolish of Joseph.” Ethel chimed in with “So do I, very foolish, and I do not understand how he could have done it. “Then, after a pause, Kermit added thoughtfully by was of explanation: “Well, I guess he was simple, like Jane in the Gollywogs” and Ethel nodded gravely in confirmation. (Gollywogs was a name used for teddy bears).

 

Fine Names for Guinea Pigs

Written to E. S. Martin                                                    Oyster Bay

 

Mrs. Roosevelt and I were more toughed than I can well say at your sending in your book with its characteristic insertion and above all with the little extract from your boy’s note about Ted. In what Form is your boy? As you have laid yourself open, I shall tell you that Ted sings in the choir and is captain of his dormitory football team. He was awfully homesick at first, but now he has won his place in his own little world and he is all right. In his last letter to his mother in response to a question about his clothes he answered that they were in good condition, excepting “that one pair of pants was split up the middle and one jacket had lost a sleeve in a scuffle, and in another pair of pants he had sat down in a jam pie at a cellar spread.” We have both missed him greatly in spite of the fact that we have five remaining. Did I ever tell you about my second small boy’s names for his Guinea pigs? They included Bishop Doane; Dr. Johnson, my Dutch Reformed pastor; Father G. Grady, the local priest with whom the children had scraped a speaking acquaintance, and Admiral Dewey. Some of my Republican supporters in West Virginia has just sent me a small bear which the children of their own has christened Jonathon Edwards, partly out of complement for their mother’s ancestor, and partly because they thought they detected Calvinistic traits in the bear’s character.