The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-11-29
VISITED AUNT MARY

VISITED AUNT MARY
President Has a Friendly Chat
With Wife's Old Nurse.
"JUsT SAY IT'S MR.. ROOSEVELT
That Was the Form of the Chief
Executives Announcement-A Red
Letter Day In the Flynn Household.
Where "Aunt Mary Ledwith Lives
In New York.
The New York World gives the fol
lowing incident in connection with
President Roosevelt's recent visit to
New York:
"Mrs. Flynn, is Aunt Mary hereY'
President Theodore Roosevelt had
stopped off on his way back to Wash
ington from Oyster Bay and climbed a
dark stairway to the second floor Of
the house $50 East Forty-eighth street
Manhattan, to call upon the old nurse,
Mrs. Mary Ledwith, who had nursed
not only Mrs. Roosevelt herself when
she vas a baby, but all Of the children
Of Mrs. Roosevelt and the president.
Eyes, she is here" said Mrs. Flynn.
who is Aunt Mary's sister, but l can't
see who you are"
"Just say it's MIR. Roosevelt and
that 1 want to see her, please. 1 came
up to see how she is"
Mrs. Flynn, though she had known
the Roosevelts for many years, was
not u~nnaturally a bit clustered" by
the honor Of a visit from the president
of the United States, with his secre-
tary and valet and detectives waiting
outside.
She ushered him into her little sit
ting room and then went and acquaint-
ed the old nurse, seated in an invalid's
chair in another room.
tits the president of the United
States, and he has come up to see
you," said Mrs. Flynn.
"The president of the United States"!'
echoed Aunt Mary in amazement. .
"Certainly, and he says to tell you
that if you are not too i'll he wants to
see you"
A light dawned on the old nurses
mind.
ooh, the president! I'll be bound
now that it's nobody but Mr.. Roose-
welt. Why, you quite took my breath
away"
And then she fixed her hair a bit, as
women will. old or young, and, adj
justing her glasses, announced that the
president could be shown in.
MI. Roosevelt came in smiling and
bent over the old nurse and shook her
hand. Then he drew up a chair and
sat down beside her. He told her how
sorry he was that she was ill.
In a few minutes the bell rang again
and Mrs. Roosevelt came in and took
a seat on the other side Of the nurse.
She remained only a short time and
then went to another room to be fitted
with some gowns which Mrs. Flynn is
making for her.
When the presidents party came out,
the sidewalk was lined with children.
who set up a cheer. Some of them
called for a speech. The president
passed through the crowd, patting
their heads and laughing as he went.
Frank Flynn, who escorted the presi-
dent to the carriage, had on a Low
button. 'That's the right sign," said
the president.
In the meantime the old nurse in
her invalid's chair was smiling hap
PLY and saying owe and over: "He
amt a bit changed; not a bit. He
might be ten times the president and
still be just MI. Roosevelt, always
thoughtful and kind"
Mrs. Ledwith has been in Mrs.
Roosevelt's family for forty-fve years.
She is seventy-six years old and has
the culture that m Of much travel
with refined. people, besides a good
deal of kindness Of heart. She took
care of Mrs. Roosevelt in her child
hood, accompanied her abroad AMI has
been the right hand of the present
lady of the White House in the care
of her children. A few weeks ago, OH
her way from Oyster Bay to Washing
ton, she was taken suddenly i'll and
was carried to the home Of her sister,
Mrs. Flynn. AS soon as she RECEIVERS
sufficiently she will go back to the
Roosevelts at the White House.
She is quite overcome by the fame
that has been thrust upon her by the
presidents call and says, "They were
nice people before ever they went to
the White House to live"