The sun., 1901-10-07
MRS. ROOSEVELT
At OYSTER BAY


First IadyFof the Land they call her!
God bless her she always has been that
down, YER" thus an old boatman said
to me today in talking of our Presidents
wife. He only echoed the sentiment OF
the whole country and folk about here
who worship Mrs. Roosevelt as some
thing above this earth.
why that blessed lady came all the
way down from her fine home there on
the hill one blustry stormy day AMI
missed my little gal all one night when
my boat was way off shore and ] eouldn
ret III. She was Just an angel stepped
down She took care o. things just as
my ole woman uSt to and before mornin
death went away from the door and my
little one was gettin' well. Why, Miss,
tsle--NIrs. I,ooseyelt--our Coils wife Gr
| this quaint village the people all love the
| tile Col. for their President knows every
man, woman and child about here and
she amt too proud to come among u.s.
! This and many little incidents | hear
about here every day show n side of Mrs.
ItooSevelt's life little known to the pub
liz. The other side we will soon see.
Now. cminently, she is to be .'the first
lady Of the land" Well born, high bred
coming rs i learned today, from long
line Of ancestors well accustomed to So
cal life. As Young girl she was a
great favoritc i'll society not only in this
country hut abroad. She is thoroughly
well posted :s 10 social etiquette, and
there will never be Il mistake made as to
the order Of procedure at the White
i House, hut the formality that must needs
rule will be much mitigated by the indes-
crbable charm of the home life which
will dominate everything, as it always
has done.
Mrs. Roosevelt will not, so say her
friends, advocate any sweeping nnoya-
tions at the White House, but there will
lie Just as much to learn from the way
in which she performs her duties as lead
ing lady aS in the very recent times WHOM
as hostess ut Albany living here she
lived her own life, quite unmoved by
criticism OF by the example of those
around her whose incomes permits more
show and more luxury of life.
The old home here, "Sagamore,o is an
ideal home, taking that old Saxon word
with all its deep and pure meaning. A
woman friend whom | met few days
ago tells me there is no gossip or sean.
| dnl allowed in the Roosevelt househol !
The matters discussed are public issues
irrcsistibly compelled to stand up fol
what is best and right so high is tn,
keynote that is sounded. This is not
ing there is not plenty Of life and jollity
: for mcrllment reigns supreme with yonil
and old and never has it been allowed
that the cares Of office or the anXieties
I of politics should intrude upon the fur
/ and mcriiment that go on increasingly
The Roosevelt household is democratic
/ in its simplicity There have never hecI
ANY attempts made at elaborate enter
tnining. a dinner for forty guests i
never markedly different from the dinnc
of six or eight, the only exception bein.
! some outside maidservant brought in t
) lend assistance
I There have been no gorgeous ban
, auets to he chroniclcd among socia
events and when the news columns CAV,
j the information that Mr.. and Mrs. Theo
: dOrc Roosevelt entertained at Dime
! there have never been any wonderful
y table decorations to tell of.
I Wine was always served but neithc
| the President nor his wife cared for il
{ As is well known, President and Mrs
Il Roosevelt have not been people of larg
i. means. and have certainly never livc'
Ibeyond those means. Last winter whel
his fern Of governor was over and befor
= the Inauguration, in March. they kap
9 the house open Mt Oyster Bay, although
E i'll their ncighhors had long since gon
Y into town The children attended schot
Q then and the governess was retained, bll
Y the home life went on exactly as thong
" il was from choice that they stayed thar
and today the verdict of the children
!. that there never was Il pleasanter winter
2 The Roosevelt turnout is n most demo
u u cratic one. The coachman is certainl
not mp to the accepted standards q
t. smart society, for he has n mustacht
e and there is no footman or second mar
II It has always pleased both Mr.. and Mrs
Il, Roosevelt to live their lives independ.'r
:, Of any changes Of fashion or of popula
feeling and the home has been from tin,
immcmorial the typical American hom'
in the hest sense OF the word. and W
there is no doubt that when at the Whit
s House. with the necessary formalty th'
70 thr position must needs bring, the Pres
re dent and Mrs. Roosevelt will carry out
III every detail the social ms well as I'll
n political demands made upon them.
y Today on the hill leading from tn
i Roosevelt house I met little red face
= wondering eyed child. "You look lionel
. little onr.' | said.
"Yes'm". hr replied munching bi
e. rosy apple, "they're all gone-they ain
l7 nobody langhin' up there. pointing to Il
ic red rooted Roosevelt home.
d And so from old TO young the absent
!, or thr Presidents family is keenly fc
!, about there.
- am going in the home tomorrow wit
. friend Of the families and ] am su,
Won will all he Interested to hear som
tling of the individuality of Sagamor
IN nnle the sweetest of homes by OF
~ First Lady Of the Land"
Of YOUNG MRS. GRUNDE.
IS --
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