The Washington herald., 1919-12-12
Big Jim White.

White House. Dec. 3, lsUi.
Blessed Kermit:
The other day while Mai Loef-
fer was marshalling the usual
stream OF visitors from England,
Germany. the Pacific Slope, etc, of
warm admirers from remote country
places. of bridal couples. etc. a huge
man about six feet four. of middle
age. but with every one of his great
sinews and muscles as fit as ever,
came in and asked to see me on
the ground that he was a former
friend. AS the line passed he was
introduced to me as Mr.. white. /
greeted him in the usual rather per-
functory manner, and the huge.
rough-looking fellow shyly re-
marked. Mr.. Roosevelt. maybe you
don't recolIect me. worked on the
roundup with you twenty years aso
next spring. My OUTFIT Joined yours
at the mouth of the Box Alder" I
gazed at him. and at once said. why
it is Big Jim" He was a great cow
puncher and is still riding the range
in Northwestern Nebraska. When /
knew him he was q tremendous
fighting man. but always liked me.
Twice ] had to interfere to prevent
him from half numbering cowboys
from my own ranch. / had him at
lunch. with a mixed company of
home and foreign notabilities.
Don't worry about the lessons. old
boy. l know you are studying hard
Don't get cast down. Sometimes in
life. both at school and afterward.
fortune will go against any one. but
If he just keeps pegging away and
doesn't lose his courage things al
faEa n for tho hntfnF in
the end.
Winter Life in the white House.
White House, Dec. II, 1904.
Blessed Kermit:
For a week the weather has been
cold - down to zero at night and
rarely above freezing in the shade
at noon. In consequence the snow
has lain well, and as there has been
a waxing moon. have had the most
delightful evening and night rides
imaginable. l have been so busy that
I have been unable to get away until
after dark. but I went in the fur
jacket Uncle Will presented to me
as the fruit of his prize money in
the Spanish war; and the moonlight
on the glittering snow made the
rides lovelier than they would have
been in the daytime. Sometimes
Mother and Ted went with me. and
the gallops were delightful. Today
il has showed heavily again. but the
snow has been so soft that did not
like to go out. and besides ! have
been worked up to the limit. There
has been skating and sleigh-riding
all the week.
The new black Jack" dog Is be-
coming very much at home and very
fond of the family.
With Archie and Quentin ] have
finished The Last of the Mohicans."
and have now begun '"fhe Deer Slay-
err" They are as cunning as ever,
and this reading to them in the
them that ! would not otherwise
have, although sometimes it is
rather hard to get time.
Mother looks very young and pretty.
This afternoon she was most busy,
taking the little boys to the theater
and then going to hear Ethel sing.
Ted. very swell IN his first tail coat.
Is going out to take supper at Secre-
tary Morton's. whose pretty daughter
is coming out tonight.
In very few days now we shall
see you again.
-s Playmate of the Children.
(To Mr.. and Mrs. Emlen RoosevelD
White House, Jan. L. 1905.
! am really touched at the way in
which your children as well as my
own treat me as friend and play
mate. 1t has its comic side. Thus.
the last day the boys were here they
We're all bent upon having me take
them for scramble down Rock Creek.
OF course, there was absolutely no
reason why they could not go alone.
but they obviously felt that my pres
ence was needed to give zest to the
entertainment. Accordingly. on I
went, with the two Russell boys,
George. Jack and Philip and Ted. KCy-
nit and Archie, with one Of Arches
friends-a sturdy little boy who. as
Archie informed me, had played op-
rosite to him In the position OF center
one Of them saw anything incongruous
rush last fall do not think that