第53章

Littleboy，dramatically：“Andbangthemonitorsank！”

Littlegirl。“Itdidn’tdoanysuchthing。Mymonitoralwaysgoestobedatseven，andit’snowquarterpast。Mymonitorwasinbedandcouldn’tsink！”

WhenIwasAssistantSecretaryoftheNavy，LeonardWoodandIusedoftentocombineforcesandtakebothfamiliesofchildrenouttowalk，andoccasionallysomeoftheirplaymates。LeonardWood’sson，I

found，attributedthepaternityofallofthosenotofhisownfamilytome。OnceweweretakingthechildrenacrossRockCreekonafallentree。Iwasstandingonthemiddleofthelogtryingtopreventanyofthechildrenfromfallingoff，andwhilemakingaclutchatonepeculiarlyactiveandheedlesschildIfelloffmyself。AsIemergedfromthewaterIheardthelittleWoodboycallingfranticallytotheGeneral：“Oh！oh！Thefatherofallthechildrenfellintothecreek！”——

whichmademefeellikeanuncommonlymoistpatriarch。OfcoursethechildrentookmuchinterestinthetrophiesIoccasionallybroughtbackfrommyhunts。WhenIstartedformyregiment，in’98，thestressofleavinghome，whichwasnaturallynotpleasant，wassomewhatlightenedbythenexttotheyoungestboy，whoseideasofwhatwasabouttohappenwerehazy，claspingmeroundthelegswithabeamingsmileandsaying，“Andismyfathergoingtothewar？Andwillhebringmebackabear？”When，somefivemonthslater，Ireturned，ofcourseinmyuniform，thislittleboywasmuchpuzzledastomyidentity，althoughhegreetedmeaffablywith“Goodafternoon，Colonel。”Halfanhourlatersomebodyaskedhim，“Where’sfather？”towhichheresponded，“Idon’tknow；buttheColonelistakingabath。”

Ofcoursethechildrenanthropomorphized——ifthatistheproperterm——

theirfriendsoftheanimalworld。Amongthesefriendsatoneperiodwasthebaker’shorse，andonaveryrainydayIheardthelittlegirl，whowaslookingoutofthewindow，say，withamelancholyshakeofherhead，“Oh！there’spoorKraft’shorse，allsoppin’wet！”

WhileIwasintheWhiteHousetheyoungestboybecamean/habitue/ofasmallandrathernoisomeanimalshop，andthegood-naturedownerwouldoccasionallylethimtakepetshometoplaywith。OnoneoccasionIwasholdingaconversationwithoneoftheleadersinCongress，UnclePeteHepburn，abouttheRailroadRateBill。Thechildrenwerestrictlytrainednottointerruptbusiness，butonthisparticularoccasionthelittleboy’sfeelingsovercamehim。Hehadbeenloanedaking-snake，which，asallnature-loversknow，isnotonlyausefulbutabeautifulsnake，veryfriendlytohumanbeings；

andhecamerushinghometoshowthetreasure。Hewasholdingitinsidehiscoat，anditcontrivedtowigglepartlydownthesleeve。

UnclePeteHepburnnaturallydidnotunderstandthefullimportofwhatthelittleboywassayingtomeasheendeavoredtowriggleoutofhisjacket，andkindlystartedtohelphim——andthenjumpedbackwithalacrityasthesmallboyandthesnakebothpoppedoutofthejacket。

Therecouldbenohealthierandpleasanterplaceinwhichtobringupchildrenthaninthatnookofold-timeAmericaaroundSagamoreHill。

CertainlyIneverknewsmallpeopletohaveabettertimeorabettertrainingfortheirworkinafterlifethanthethreefamiliesofcousinsatSagamoreHill。Itwasrealcountry，and——speakingfromthesomewhatdetachedpointofviewofthemasculineparent——Ishouldsaytherewasjustthepropermixtureoffreedomandcontrolinthemanagementofthechildren。Theywereneverallowedtobedisobedientortoshirklessonsorwork；andtheywereencouragedtohaveallthefunpossible。Theyoftenwentbarefoot，especiallyduringthemanyhourspassedinvariousenthrallingpursuitsalongandinthewatersofthebay。Theyswam，theytramped，theyboated，theycoastedandskatedinwinter，theywereintimatefriendswiththecows，chickens，pigs，andotherlivestock。Theyhadinsuccessiontwoponies，GeneralGrantand，whentheGeneral’slegsbecamesuchthathelaydowntoooftenandtoounexpectedlyintheroad，acalicoponynamedAlgonquin，whoisstilllivingalifeofhonorableleisureinthestableandinthepasture——wherehehastobepicketed，becauseotherwisehechasesthecows。SedateponyGrantusedtodrawthecartinwhichthechildrenwentdrivingwhentheywereverysmall，thedriverbeingtheiroldnurseMame，whohadheldtheirmotherinherarmswhenshewasborn，andwhowasknittothembyatieascloseasanytieofblood。IdoubtwhetherIeversawMamereallyoffendedwiththemexceptoncewhen，outofpurebutmisunderstoodaffection，theynamedapigafterher。TheylovedponyGrant。OnceIsawthethenlittleboyofthr