The Washington herald., 1907-04-07


IN dealing with ''The Developing Man"
Mr.. Douglas tells US:
when Mr.. Roosevelt was a small boy
in short trousers he used to play tag in
Madison Square. New York. which was
not far from his home In East Twentieth
street. It was then much more suit
able place for a small boy to play in than
1t is now. On the east side Of the square
stood a Presbyterian church. The sexton
while airing the building one Saturday
noticed a boy-it was the youthful
Rooseveit-peering curiousiy in at the
door. but making no move to enter. The
sexton invited the boy inside
" No, thank YOU the little fellow re-
Piled. Then he added cOnndentially, ]
know what you've got in there.
" I haven't anything that little boys
may not see. You'd better come IN and
look around
ia rather not, said he, after casting
q sweeping and somewhat apprehensive
glance around the pews and galleries.
Then he ran OF to his play again.
The open church seemed to fascinate
him, however, and he returned to it again
and again. When he went home his mo-
told her that the sexton wanted him 10 go
into the church, but that he kept out.
Why didn't you go in?' she asked. 1t
is a church. il is true, but there Is no
harm In entering 1t quietly and looking
around.
He seemed reluctant to explain. but
after a little urging. he shyiy confessed
that ne was afraid lest the zeal should
jump out at him from behind a pew or
from the gallery or some other place of
concealment
% The zeal? What do you mean by the
zeaI?' his mother inquired.
Why. the boy explained, I suppose
Il is some big animal like a dragon or an
alligator. I went there TO church last
Sunday with Uncle r.. and I heard the
minister read from the Bible about the
zeal and il made me afraid.
Mrs Roosevelt got the Concordance
and read the texts containing the word
zeal one after another Suddenly the
ehild's eyes grew big. and his voice ex-
cited. as ne exclaimed:
" That's 1.-THE last you read
1T was from the Psalms: For the zeal
of thy house hath eaten me up.
Tales of Harvard.
Mr.. Douglas then goes on to tell OF Mr..
Roosevelt's school days up TO the time
he entered Harvard University in the
class of 1880. not a very strong youth, but
with an unusual amount of energy:
we hear of him, in 1857 as one of
twelve members of the sophomore class
prominently mentioned as the politicians
say. for the editorial board of the Har-
ward Advocate. A committee was APP
pointed to inquire into the fitness Of
the men for the places, that the board
might vote with intelligence. When the
editors came together TO hear the reports,
the man who had looked into the qualif-
cations Of young Roosevelt said:
''I cannot see that be is the kind of
man we want. Although I find that he
is a thoroughly good fellow and much
liked by his classmates, I do not believe
that he has much literary interest. He
spends his spare time clipping OF pieces
of rock and examining strata, catching
butterflies and bugs, and would, / think.
be better suited for scientific society
than for us
The board sustained this view. and il
stead of Roosevelt. elected a man who
has since won considerable fame as
writer of fiction. Later in his course.
however. Mr.. Roosevelt was elected to
the board, but did little editorial work.
Love of Nature.
Says Mr.. Douglas;
Ills hunting books show the results
of his observation of nature about him.
They are not mere tales Of hunting. one
might cali them the diversions of a nat
uralist. SO keen a love for the things of
nature do they disclose. Il is not the
ordinary hunter or ranchman who would
his story of cattle and game TO
write such passage as this about song
birds:
The meadow lark is a singer Of a higher order
than the plains skyialk}. deserving 70 rank with
the best. Its song has length. variety. power, ana
ilch melody, and there Is IN It sometimes cadence
1f Wild sadness ineZIgessihly touching. Yet I can
not SAY that either song would appeal 90 others as
IL aplcals % me. for to ma it comes forever laden
with q hundred memories and associations WITH the
zigbt Of dim hills rcddening ID the dawn, with the
breath az the cold morning winds blowing acTuss
lonely plains, with the scent 81 flowers the snliJ
prairie, with the motion Of fiery horses. with all the
strong thrill iof eager and buoyaut life. doubt #
ans Judge dispassiouately Of The bird songs
af his own country; he cannot disassOciate them
Irom the sights aud sounds Of the land that is 80
dear % him
The Game Cock.
1t was in his Harvard days that there
occurred the episode Of the rooster:
"He liked fighting cocks; whether he
ever fought them does not appear, and
he had some in Maine. One Of the cocks
escaped from its coop and wandered
about the village streets, feeding as it
went along. Roosevelt attempted to
catch the fowl but this was not easy, for
L flew over the fences and rushed through
The yards. and the faster Roosevelt ran,
the more excited the fowl became, until
IN its terror. it few into the second
story window OF house, frightening
half out OF her wits an old woman who
was in bed in the room. Roosevelt. in
stead of going in by the door, got a lad
der and followed the fowl into the house
by way of the window He soon came
out the same way with the bird squawk-
ing and struggling under his arm. He
said that he could not have succeeded in
catching it if it had not run under the
old woman's bed He cornered it there
ana then craWled under and brought it
out"
Very briefly the author covers the pc
Rod Of Mr.. RoOsevelt's life after leaving
Harvard. He went TO Europe and studied
In Dresden. In his spare time he took a
walking tour swimming rivers as he
came to them, and climbing such noun
aims as pleased his fancy. In recognition
Of his achievements in ascending the
Jungfrau and the Matterhorn he was
elected a member of the London Alpine
Club. On his return to the United States
he was ready TO enter on the serious
duties of life. but before these are taken
up Mr.. Douglas has a chapter on 1.-THE
Western Man." which deals more or less
fully with some of Mr. Roosevelts hunt
ing trips
First Hunting Trip.
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