第54章

Itisalsowelltorememberthatasenseofhumorisahealthyanti-

scorbutictothatportentousseriousnesswhichdefeatsitsownpurpose。

Occasionallybitsofself-educationprovedofunexpectedhelptothechildreninlateryears。Likeotherchildren，theywereapttotaketobedwiththemtreasureswhichtheyparticularlyesteemed。Oneoftheboys，justbeforehissixteenthbirthday，wentmoosehuntingwiththefamilydoctor，andclosepersonalfriendoftheentirefamily，AlexanderLambert。Oncenightovertookthembeforetheycamped，andtheyhadtoliedownjustwheretheywere。NextmorningDr。Lambertratherenviouslycongratulatedtheboyonthefactthatstonesandrootsevidentlydidnotinterferewiththesoundnessofhissleep；towhichtheboyresponded，“Well，Doctor，youseeitisn’tverylongsinceIusedtotakefourteenchinaanimalstobedwithmeeverynight！”

Asthechildrengrewup，SagamoreHillremaineddelightfulforthem。

Therewerepicnicsandridingparties，thereweredancesinthenorthroom——sometimesfancydressdances——andopen-airplaysonthegreentenniscourtofoneofthecousin’shouses。Thechildrenarenolongerchildrennow。Mostofthemaremenandwomen，workingouttheirownfatesinthebigworld；someinourownland，othersacrossthegreatoceansorwheretheSouthernCrossblazesinthetropicnights。Someofthemhavechildrenoftheirown；someareworkingatonething，someatanother；incableships，inbusinessoffices，infactories，innewspaperoffices，buildingsteelbridges，bossinggraveltrainsandsteamshovels，orlayingtracksandsuperintendingfreighttraffic。

Theyhavehadtheirshareofaccidentsandescapes；asIwrite，wordcomesfromafar-offlandthatoneofthem，whomSethBullockusedtocall“Kim“becausehewasthefriendofallmankind，whilebossingadangerousbutnecessarysteelstructuraljobhashadtworibsandtwobackteethbroken，andisbackatwork。Theyhaveknownandtheywillknowjoyandsorrow，triumphandtemporarydefeat。ButIbelievetheyareallthebetteroffbecauseoftheirhappyandhealthychildhood。

Itisimpossibletowinthegreatprizesoflifewithoutrunningrisks，andthegreatestofallprizesarethoseconnectedwiththehome。Nofatherandmothercanhopetoescapesorrowandanxiety，andtherearedreadfulmomentswhendeathcomesverynearthosewelove，evenifforthetimebeingitpassesby。Butlifeisagreatadventure，andtheworstofallfearsisthefearofliving。Therearemanyformsofsuccess，manyformsoftriumph。Butthereisnoothersuccessthatinanyshapeorwayapproachesthatwhichisopentomostofthemany，manymenandwomenwhohavetherightideals。Thesearethemenandthewomenwhoseethatitistheintimateandhomelythingsthatcountmost。Theyarethemenandwomenwhohavethecouragetostriveforthehappinesswhichcomesonlywithlaborandeffortandself-sacrifice，andonlytothosewhosejoyinlifespringsinpartfrompowerofworkandsenseofduty。

OnSeptember6，1901，PresidentMcKinleywasshotbyanAnarchistinthecityofBuffalo。IwenttoBuffaloatonce。ThePresident’sconditionseemedtobeimproving，andafteradayortwoweweretoldthathewaspracticallyoutofdanger。Ithenjoinedmyfamily，whowereintheAdirondacks，nearthefootofMountTahawus。Adayortwoafterwardswetookalongtrampthroughtheforest，andintheafternoonIclimbedMountTahawus。AfterreachingthetopIhaddescendedafewhundredfeettoashelfoflandwheretherewasalittlelake，whenIsawaguidecomingoutofthewoodsonourtrailfrombelow。Ifeltatoncethathehadbadnews，and，sureenough，hehandedmeatelegramsayingthatthePresident’sconditionwasmuchworseandthatImustcometoBuffaloimmediately。Itwaslateintheafternoon，anddarknesshadfallenbythetimeIreachedtheclubhousewherewewerestaying。ItwassometimeafterwardsbeforeIcouldgetawagontodrivemeouttothenearestrailwaystation，NorthCreek，somefortyorfiftymilesdistant。Theroadsweretheordinarywildernessroadsandthenightwasdark。Butwechangedhorsestwoorthreetimes——whenIsay“we“ImeanthedriverandI，astherewasnooneelsewithus——andreachedthestationjustatdawn，tolearnfromMr。Loeb，whohadaspecialtrainwaiting，thatthePresidentwasdead。ThateveningItooktheoathofoffice，inthehouseofAnsleyWilcox，atBuffalo。

OnthreepreviousoccasionstheVice-PresidenthadsucceededtothePresidencyonthedeathofthePresident。Ineachcasetherehadbeenareversalofpartypolicy，andanearlyimmediateandnearlycompletechangeinthepersonnelofthehigheroffices，especiallytheCabinet。

Ihadneverfeltthatthiswaswisefromanystandpoin