New-York tribune., 1919-01-07
Thoughts Through
Year OF Illness
AlaUays With Sons

Friends said yesterday that the Colo
neps devotion to his family was par
ticularly noticeable in the last year.
during which he had had much sickness
and had suffered the loss of his young
est son. Quentin, the eagle This was
much moro Of blow to him than most
Of even his intimate friends realized,
though it could not be SAID that he
had ever thought all Of his sons would
return to him.
Il pray God" he once said to the
writer. chat He will, in His mercy,
send them back to me safe and sound,
but in my heart know it is almost too
much for me to hope for. ! know what
modern war is and | know my boys
| know they VIII do their part. That
means danger.
ut is not pleasant thought for
father, who knows what modern war is
and the fearful things a high explosive
shell win do to think Of his boys being
exposed to them, to think perhaps that
at the moment they may be lying mu-
tilated in No Mans Land.
NO, it IS not pleasant, and yet there
are ours this was at the time a South
western editor had asserted the Roose-
welt boys, through influence, had Sc
cured safe berths who dare say that
my boys, every one of them in combat
corps, had shirked their duty with the
aid of my supposed influenced"
Worried About Sons
Again, as he was recovering from the
very serious illness of early last win
ter in Roosevelt Hospital, d caller, CON
graduating him on his recovery, said
mis- friends had been worried
"Well.' said he, 81 was not worried
about myself. | was not thinking of
myself. I was thinking Of my four
boys. | tell you, ! am almighty proud
OF nay boys and after a momentary
pause. Gust as proud of my two fine
girls
This illness, which developed in Feb
ruary was, in the opinion of medical
friends, the beginning Of the end with
Colonel Roosevelt. 1t began with
rectal abscess which was first operated
upon without an anaesthetic at Saga
more Hill. 1t left painful wound, in
spite of which the Colonel insisted on
motoring forty miles into town to his
Office, then in the quarters Of "The
metropolitan Magazine" There he met
several friends and later went TO the
Harvard Club, where he had several
engagements. He Kept these, though
trouble with the wound caused him to
leave for the Hotel Langden, where
he had arranged to see his then at
tending physician DIR. Martin, before
returning TO the club for dinner Of
the Vgilantcs
This dinner was to be in the nature
of farewell TO Major John purroy
Mitchell, who was TO leave in a few
days for a California flying field, and
to discuss ways and means Of com
batting German propaganda. After it,
Colonel Roosevelt was to spend the
night al the Langdon and leave carly
the next day for Boston to speak for
the Red Cross. He had been urged to
cancel this latter engagement, but re-
fused on the ground that he could III
It, that u was war work, and that it
must be done.
Suddenly Collapsed
While waiting Mt the Langdon for
DR.. Martin, the Colonel began debating
10 his secretary, bpt suddenly started
to collapse. He pulled himself together
and staegered to bed room, whore
he lay down. IN few minutes DR..
Martin arrived, found high fever. and
after installing nurses, induced the
Colonel to cancel the engagements he
/ had insisted on filling
he had rather restless night and
! the next day there was g consultation
Of fphysisians. At this the Colonial was
advised TO 20 10 Roosevelt Hospital