Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-10-10
PRESIDENTS CoURrsHIp.
His Present Wife Was a Friend Of His
Early Youth She is Irish Lady
and Typical American.

Both President and Mrs. Roosevelt
are in the very prime OF life. They
have always known each other and are
of practically the same age. Mrs.
Roosevelt is not yet old enough for
her dark hair, which she wears drawn
away from her high forehead, to have
become tinged with gray. Her eyes
sparkle With all the yigor OF youth.
When she smiles it is In the happl-
est manner in the world.
Mrs. Roosevelt is fair in complexion,
aquiline in profile, OF medium height,
slender and with aristocratic bearing.
She has indeed great natural stateli-
ness, and when dressed for dinner or
a reception is quite the grande dame.
She is, indeed, a thousand times
more conventionally correct than her
Rough Rider husband, who has great
love for making laws unto himself.
Mrs. Roosevelt haA, indeed, always
succeeded in subordinating her own
personality to that of her husband.
She has never been In any sense a
''public woman, even when she was
the wife Of the Governor. She avoids
clubs, prominent Identification with
any movement, social display or os-
tentation.
Nevertheless she is thoroughly in
formed and keenly interested in every
question Of the day. 1t is only SO far
that she has INDUCED preference for
watching history rather than to have
the smallest share In its making.
AS an administrator, Mrs. Roose-
velt is superb. Her husbands career
has made it necessary for her to con-
duct several homes at the same time,
which she has done with mastery eff
ficiency. Her financial ability also
quite distinguishes her from the run
OF women.
The secret of unusual and perfect
harmony between the Roosevelts
necessitates the telling of long
story. They are devotedly in love
with each other, and have been for a
long time. If there ever lived a man
fortunate in his domestic relations it
is the strenuous Rough Rider. And
his romance began years ago.
Mrs. Roosevelt was Edith Kermit
Carow, daughter Of Charles Carow Of
New York, and granddaughter of
Gen. Tyler, of Norwich, Conn. Edith
was born at the old Carow man
sion, Fortieth street and Union
Square. Her girlhood was passed in
New York during part OF which she
was pupil at Miss Comstock's school
in West Fortieth street.
The Carows, as all New Workers
know, were then one of the foremost
families in town. The Roosevelts
held a similar position. There was a
strong intimacy between them, Edith
Carow in particular, always having
been close friend Of Theodore Roose-
velt's sister, who is now Mrs. Douglass
Robinson.
Hardly week passed that Theodore
Roosevelt and Edith Carow did not
meet. They were both then in their
early teens and far too young for any
thought of a romance. And it was
with a purely cousinly friendliness
that they said good-by when young
Theodore left New York to go to Har-
ward.
Theodore Roosevelt has never been
known to waste an opportunity. He
learned more at Harvard than ten
ordinary boys would have learned, and
he did not neglect his social adyant-
ages either. For he had become en-
gagged to Alice Lee, then one of the
bellies of Boston. The Lees were one
Of the best Boston families. Theo-
dore was considered an exceptionally
young man. No objection was raised
to their marriage.
This was to prove the first tragic
chapter in Theodore Roosevelt's life.
For after only a year of married life
his young wife died, leaving a baby
girl and namesake behind her. This
baby is now the grown-up daughter of
Mr.. Roosevelt, Miss Alice, who is to-
make her debut In Washington this
winter.
While becoming accustomed to his
grief, Theodore Roosevelt met again
and often the young woman with
whom he had been such good friends
half a dozen years before.
In the meantime Edith Carow had
gained a reputation for absolute lack
OF susceptibility. 1t was believed she
would never marry,
Far more handsomer men than
Theodore Roosevelt had paid their
court in vain. Gradually, however,
during the next rev years an under
standing was established between
them.
Tbeoeore Roosevelt and Edith Ca
row discovered that they were in love
and electrified New York by announc-
ing their engagement.
They were married a few months
afterward in England. Miss Carow
went over in advance and met her
mother and sister in England. In
November Mr.. Roosevelt joined them
and on Dec. 9, 1886, he and Edith Ca
row were married in st. Georges
Church, Hanover Square, London, by
Canon Cammadge, a cousin of Miss
Carow.
A Popular Nomination.