Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-24

lights with expression when she talks.
She makes few gestures. She smiles
frequently while she talks, and
especially when she is with her
children. Her laugh is frequent, too.
Ideal Wife and Mother.
1t is not wonderful that a woman
with a sweet, quiet personality like
this should be a wonderful mothe".
When she was Edith Kermit Carow, at
the height Of her social popularity n
New York, it used to be said of her
that she would probably never marry
Just because she was the one girl IN
her set who would make an ideal wife
and mother.
She did not marry until she had
been bridesmaid for most Of her girl
friends, and the fifteen years OF her
married life have been singularly
happy and successful ones, bearing
out her friends estimate of her.
When Mr.. aud MRS. Roosevelt re-
turned from their wedding journey on
the continent after their marriage IN
at the station in Oyster Bay a little
blue-eyed, fair-haired child namel
Alice-Mr. ROOsevelt's little daughter
by his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt.
This child the new Mrs. Roosevelt
took in her arms as they drove to their
home, and she has figuratively kept
her there ever since. Her own children
have had no warmer care or love thaa
this little girl whose own personality
was SO winning.
The child was then three years Ole,
and for two years Mrs. Roosevelt as
sumed almost the whole responsibility
of her bringing up. 1t was the theory
of this foster mother that SO long as
mother and her daughter are friends,
as well as relatives, so long the danger
Of outside influence is kept away from
the child.
This relationship of absolute cont
dence she soon established with her lit
tie stepdaughter. and the two became
devoted companions. Alice Roosevelt
who cannot remember her own mother.
has yet never known what it is to be
motherless.
In two years this peculiarly sweet lie
latiOnship was rather cemented than
married at the birth Of Teddy ROose-
velt jr., who is now 13 years old aud
in school at Groton. With the other
children, Ethel, Archibald. Kermit and
Quentin, the family became a big
circle of playfellows, inordinately
proud Of the father and wonderfully
fond of the mother. And when one
hears how Mrs. Roosevelt has brought
up her children one does not wonder
that this fondness is not to be account
ed for by the mere accident of re-
latiOnship.
Plays With Her Children.
Everybody down at Oyster BAY,
where the Roosevelts always spend I
part of each year, knows what it is to
come upon little group of three or
four or five settled cozily under the
big beeches in the wild grounds.
breathless over some wonderful ex-
pertinent. In the midst of the group
is always Mrs. Roosevelt, and in her
lap or her hands in some marvellous
thing above which the little heads are
bent.
Perhaps 1t is new sort of shining
bug, which stretches his colored wings
if they wait long enough, and present.
| ly flies away unframed; perhaps it is
! some bit of moss or gum or lichen
| from tree trunk, or flower they
| have never seen, each with story
! which the fairy godmother who foun l
it always knows.
I Often it is a feather from some
strange bird, or an unknown stone
and for two hours at a time they Will
sit on, each telling a story about it
This, Mrs. Roosevelt has explained
serves a double purpose: it stimulates
the fancy of the children, and it gives
them good deal of information il
| natural history which often leads III
wonderfully to other things.
The information she gives secont
place, and this is explained by one o
her cardinal beliefs about the trainins
of children.
Another of Mrs. Roosevelt's teach
ings to her children has been in what
she once called ''the art Of being fon,
Of people" She has always wante'
her children to love as many as pos