The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-12-10
Anna was only 4 when she acquired
q Shetland pony named Daisy.
IN THEIR FATHERS
PLAYTIME FOOTSTEPS

01ctAduO pony named Daisy.
IN THEIR FATHERS
PLAYTIME FOOTSTEPS
They romped in the same cavernous
attic Of the big house where Franklin.
ST., had played; they swan in the
same pond, burrowed in the same
haymow. charged across the same
fields. There are even a few old SER
wants at Hyde Park who can boast Of
having been scalped by two genera
lions of Roosevelts.
On rainy days there were hundreds
OF books to read. And they read
Voraciously. almost without preference
except for a leaning toward the older.
thumb-Smudged volumes of their par
ents' childhood. Sometimes theyy
mace up stories, which were not al
ways entirely complimentary, about
tner PORTRAYED ancestors. Toys never
interested them greatly; it was more
run to seek treasure in the attic. or
70 darken the whole house and play
ghost. f''
The big haybarn was a favorite
hangout, and there they played on
equal terms with the children of ten
ants on the estate. And the rising
Hoosevelts held their own in these
games. The summer that Anna was
Is she became embroiled III a con-
troversy with the coachman's son
about which could leap from the
greatest height into the hay. The
whole gang went out to watch the
decisive contest.
The boy climbed to dizzy height
and jumped. Anna, whom thew called
Sis but never Sissy" grimly climbed
nlgner, poised for moment on q.
wapoly rafter, shut her eyes and
leaped: She broke her ankle, but she
won the argument. The coachman,S
son worshipfully brought wild flowers
While her foot was in the cast.
Both the Roosevelt parents were
much IN the saddle then, so the chill
dren were taught to ride almost as
soon as they could walk. Anna,s
Daisy" went into the ownership OF
one after another Of the Younger
boys, and q succession of larger ponies
appeared for her and James. The
carriage house was filled with relics
OF once-splendid conveyances, and the
children loved to hitch their mounts
70 them and go tearing across tho.
llelqs. An old barouche was their
1avorlte. Piled high with hay and
swaying crafty, it made q very salts
factory covered wagon to be ambushed
BY hard-riding attackers.
PARENTS WARNED-BUT
SELDOM INTERPRETED
There's big fir tree in front of
the house and that was the scene az
q lot Of excitement" Anna recalls.
Inc lew OF lis who could reach the
swaying top discovered we could see
over the house and even to the oppo-
site bank OF the Hudson. We older
ones weren't always very kind. I'm
AFRAID. I remember dropping pine
cones and sticks on the small children
VINO tried to climb up after us. Nv
keeping them down, though. naybe
we saved them some serious falls at
that. $500
We were always getting hurt. but
Tor wonder, never SERIOUSLY. we
had spills and runaways. and cuts
Inat required stitching. These werc
usually considered punishment ENOUGH
Tor whatever reckless risks we tock.
Mother and father seldom scolded.
Ihey believed in making us q
SeH-sufficient as possible. How much
tney really worried in silence wen
never know. But they considered that
tneir JoD was to see that We really
knew how to do things like swim and
rae. TO caution US properly about
Whatever dangers We might encounter,
ana then to let Us take care Of our
selves"