Many people misunderstood Roosevelt. Seeing the virile, fighting side
of his nature, they came to look at him as representing strength
without tenderness. On the contrary, no man was more tender to women,
children and animals. He always impressed his close friend, Jacob Riis,
as being as tender as a woman.
One day while Theodore Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
he prevailed on Mr. Riis to go home with him. In those days the
Roosevelt children were little. Instead of rushing upon Mr. Roosevelt
when he entered the door, as was their custom later, they waited their
father’s coming in the nursery.
Entering the house, Mr. Roosevelt invited Mr. Riis to go up with
him to see the babies. Mrs. Roosevelt met them in the hall with the
warning that he was not to play bear, that the baby was being put to
sleep. However, when the two arrived in the nursery, the baby itself
squirmed out of the nurse’s arms and growled and clawed at the father
very much like a little bear cub, and, thus incited, the rest of the
children flew upon him with all of the amazing vigor of childhood. The
house was in a turmoil. No menagerie in its wildest moment gave forth
more shrieks, howls and thumps. As a climax the door opened and Mrs.
Roosevelt, wearing a look of great sternness, stood viewing the scene.
Thereupon her husband arose meekly from the floor explaining that the
baby was thoroughly awake when he arrived. This story explains the
following:
One day, when Roosevelt was Police Commissioner, a policeman was
ordered before him on charges. Roosevelt reviewed his past offences
and resolved to dismiss him. The stage was set for the dismissal;
only the formalities remained. But someone had told the culprit the
Commissioner’s weak side. In the morning as Roosevelt came from a romp
with his babies, the doomed policeman stood before him surrounded by
eleven weeping youngsters.
Roosevelt’s stern expression relaxed to one of instant sympathy.
“Where is your wife, O’Keefe?”
“Dead, Sir!”
Dead! And this man, left alone with all these children! Clearly it
would be inhuman to discharge him. He must be given one more chance.
[Illustration: COPYRIGHT, LE GENDRE