Evening star., 1909-03-13
TEDDY BEAR TO STAY
Yields to Entreaties of His
Loving Friends.
WILL ADOPT Mr.. TAFT
Never Did Think Much of That
Possum Story, Anyhow.
GOING BACK TO WHITE HOUSE
Scores of Pleading Letters and Even
Poems Induce Him to Abandon
African Trip.
GOING BACK TO WHITE HOUSE

or course the Teddy bear felt lonesome
when Mr. Roosevelt went back home
Ever since he came here on the pen
and ink limited, from those cozy Louisi-
ana canebrakes. years and years ago, he
had been at home around the White
House. Yessiree. the Teddy bear and Mr.
Roosevelt were great fr1ends ana
chummed together a whole lot of the
time. OF course, the bear sometimes dis
agreed with things that Mr.. Roosevelt
did. But he never quit to follow any
other trail. He just sat around the White
House-sometimes out in the yard; when
it was stormy inside-and looked sad and
sorrowful and reproachful and occasion
ally-but not very often-really. truly
cross. But most of the time he was smiling
or laughing and peeping under Mr.. Roose-
velt's elbow or over his shoulder-he's a
curious little chap-or playing some sort Of
| a prank or other And the Teddy bear. to-
gether with oceans of other folks, thought
1t was going to last forever.
But it didn't. And one day Mr. Roose-
welt packed up his things and said good
bye to everybody and went back home
OF course, he said goodbye to the Teddy
bear, too, and humpled his warm fur and
patted his little round head and pulled
his ears and tried not to notice that the
Teddy bear was winking and blinking
and swallowing as hard as could be
every now and then.
Felt Lonesome at First.
Well, after Mr.. Roosevelt had left. the
White House seemed mighty deserted to
the Teddy bear. There wasn't any noise
and not a bit OF excitement, and there
| was nobody to chop down trees or walk
| in the rain a hundred miles to play
tennis all afternoon. And the Teddy
bear: Just as folks e., will do some
sody csped sGe " anyfns inG ' for ssad him % any
more. Besides, he had heard that Mr..
Taft. who was coming to live in the
White House in place Of his old chum,
Mr. Roosevelt had a pet Of his own. a
poesum, Well, that made the Teddy bear
ypod and cross. you can believe. Why.
down where he came from no self-re-
| specting bear would speak to possum on
the street, much less consort with one.
| Not that there is anything so dreadful
about possum. 'cept that some of the
collateral branches OF the family are not
looked up to, and that they are so melan-
choly. A possum would rather hang
| scrptions on the stones and think of how
nice the world would be IL it wasn't the
| way it is
| Now. Teddy bear hasn't any patience
with notions like that. And when he
heard that Mr.. Taft's pet was a possum
he just figured that he'd better pack his
| little grip and take the pen and ink linn
| tied again back to the silence and OBJ
| couldn't make up his mind, and one day
he hid SO that not even Mr.. Bergman.
who knows him better than anybody
else. even Mr.. Roosevelt, could find him.
Friends Start Rumpus.
But the bear had more friends than he
thought-but the trouble was he didn't
stop to think. And the day after his dis
appearance there were a whole lot of
people asking about him. And down at
The Star. where the Teddy bear lives
| when he's not at the White House. about
million questions came in by mail. For
instance, here's one from a constant
reader" who says. Did our ex-Fresi-
dent carry off little Teddy B.. with him?
If so, please see to 1t that he sends him
back before he starts on his African trip,
for We in Washington cannot get on
without him, and. moreover, he belongs
to Uncle Sam. and [ am sure our new
President will not be able to hold out
without him. We all miss his familiar
face and form so much, SO please insist
upon his return
Now that made Teddy Bear feel a tiny
bit better. particularly as constant read
ers first name is Flora and she lives at
2014 I'd street northwest. Then there
came another from a friend of the bears
at 921 street northwest, saying, Il We
heard that you''-this was to the editor
"are going to kill off the Teddy bear.
Please don't. We have an affection for
him. Let Mr.. Bergman keep him alive"
The Poets Get Busy.
And then came mighty nice remem-
brance from Jeannie Gillespie Pennng-
ton, who didn't think to give her address
Here it is:
A Plea.
Mistah artis jest lissen teh me,
Ef yeh got a minute teh spar;
However allurin' dat 'possum might be,
Don't cut out de little brown bar.
Ne's got a pow'rfu likin' fer him,
From seein' him everywhar:
De papers'd seem to need sumpin put in
Eff yeh lef' out little brown bar.
We'n all git fond o de ''possum SMILE
But whether he's here thar,
liz hear he liso IN prhl ln