Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06
WHITE HOUSE BRIDES
Alice Roosevelt win Be the
Eleventh.
HOW LONGW0RTH WON HER
Story Of the Babyhood and Girlhood
of Presidents Daughter.
INCIDENTS IN HER SOCIAL LIFE
Rumored That She Was Sought by
German Crown Prince-Her
Marriage Plans.
INCIDENTS IN HER SOCIAL LIFT

1900 AesSS - AoAAos
Copyright, 1908. By John Elfreth watkins1
In the autumn of 1888, and upon his
twenty fifth birthday, a hale and hearty
son of the metropolis bearing the dis
tinctfon OF being the youngest member of
the New York legislature received at the
altar his blushing bride. Boston girl of
nineteen. They set UP housekeeping in an
old-fasbioned, roomy house at 6 West
9th street. and there soon came to stay
with the happy young couple the mother
OF the groom, handsome matron. now
reminded of those ante-be1lum days when
she had been brought a blushing bride
from her fathers Georgia plantation The
reader has already suspected that this
bridegroom and son was Theodore Roose-
Welt. that the bride was Alice Hathaway
Lee Roosevelt. and the mother Martha
Bulloch Roosevelt.
Lincoln's birthday, February %, 1884
was an anxious. desolate day for the
young husband. His mother was lying
dangerously Ill in one room Of the hither-
TO cheerful home and his girl bride was
at deaths door In the adjoining chamber
On that day child had come--a daugh-
ter, for. whom many great plans had been
laid. On. st. Valentines day, when New
York was merry in festival, the black
angel Death descended upon this home
snatchfng from her two-days-old infant
the lovely young mother from the far
north, and. within few hours. the soft
voiced grandmother from the distant
southland. Two days later, when, from
the same house, the bodies OF these two
adored women were carried to the same
church and laid side by side in the same
erless widower had returned to realize
the awful void in the once happy home
despair seized him. But he had one COM
fort teft-the wee little daughter. to whom
Lee. 1ntrusting the little one to his sister.
Miss Anna Roosevelt, the young widower
He'd from the scene of his grief. He went
TO South Dakota. bought the Maltese
O0O-and spent two years in "broncho
busting" and other strenuous outdoor
work
Childhood's Varied Scenes.
Baby Alice knew no mother other than
her Aunt Anna until she was a tow-headed.
biue-eyed tot OF nearly three, when her
father married, In London, Miss Edith
Carew. childhood friend and his first
wfe's junior by eight days. The next
twoayears the little one spent at Oyster
Bay and at the home of her Grandfather
and Grandmother Lee near Boston. When
she was five years old she had her first
glimpse OF the capital city, for her father
mad just been appointed civil service COM
missioner When she first gazed in childish
awe avs at the Whlte House and was told that
the ruler of the great country dwelt therein
little did this be-pigtailed tonfboy imagine
that one day-and not far-oY-it would be
her nome, wherein she would WELD the
maidens of the land. She did not enter the
Washington public schools, as did later her
haf-brothers, but was in charge of a gov
erness who laid the foundation of her
IN ona aYa
father was appointed president Of the
police board Of Greater New York, and she
was taken back to Oyster Bay. When she
was thirteen she returned to Washington
secretary OF the navy. She was now en-
rolled in a private academy. but In a few
months resumed her education under pri-
yate tutors. She learned to speak French
f1uently. to paint In water colors. to play
the plano. She rode horseback and took
long country ranDbles with her father,
| romped with her brother Theodore, visited
her Aunt Anna, now living In Washington
and the wife OF a naval officer, Lieut. Com
mander Cowles. She was a miss OF four
teen when she kissed her father goodbye
and saw him depart for the Spanish war.
whence he might never return alive. She
was scarce fifteen when she was taken to
Albany to live two years In the executive
mansion, and just past seventeen when her
father returned to Washington as Vice
President Of the United States.
SAuuCAAJ LII uSt III L.
Until this time the nation-beyond her
own little crcle-did not know that there
was such young lady as Alice Roosevelt.
Even as the Vice Presidents daughter sho
was little heralded, for Vice Presidents are
OF little consequence at best. Her father
remained in Washington only long enough
for the Senate to confirm the Presidents
nominatio Then. from March until Sep
TENDER the family was united again at
Oyster Bay Miss Alice was making va
rious and sundry plans for debut the fol-
lowing winter,w when she would live in Wash
ington, in the great Bellamy Storer man
sion, now the embassy of France. But these
visions were interrupted by the crash Of
bullet which went echoing around the
world, and on a day Of mid-September
while her father was away hunting in the
woods. the wire brought intelligence to
Oyster Bay which meant that Theodore
Roosevelt must now become President of
the United States. Miss Alice was then
seventeen years and seven months old. The
eyes of the land. when their tears were
dried, were upon her.
They beheld slender bIue-eyed girl, a
little below the average stature with face
which was the feminine reproduction OF her
father s-a face broad at the temples, with
eyes far apart, nose short and broad. brow
full but of medium height, and crowned
with a wealth of light brown hair. 1t was
good, stolid. sincere Dutch face, but while
the mold Of the Teuton prevailed, there was
some OF the bluntness OF the Celt-of those
Irish ancestors Of her fathers. who in CO.
lonial days settled in Pennsylvania.
Mrs Grundy hurried to the White House
expecting to behold very vain and
naughty young miss. self-conscious. con-
ceited and ready to snub all save the titled
and the rich; for Mrs. Grdndy could only
base her Judgment upon past experiences.
But Mrs. Grundy came away with mouth
pc and complaining that Miss Alice,
was sincere to the point of brusqueness.
that she was not prim enough. considering
her station; had too much Of the tomboy
left in her. In other words. Mrs Grundy
discovered that she was a chip off the old
block"
six weeks before her eighteenth birthday
Miss Alice became Miss Roosevelt. She
made her debut to society at a grand ball
in the east room, It was the most gOr-
geous event seen at the White House since
Dolly Madison, in the same apartment, led
the stately minuet with the gilded diplo-
mats and military officers OF her day.
Gowned In gorgeous white silk and lace,
Miss Roosevelt bowed to seven hundred
guests, including all of the high officials OF
the government and the representatives OF
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