theodore roosevelt-第39节

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〃is　the　incessant　publicity　of　it。　For　four　years　you　have　not　a　moment　to　yourself；　not　a　moment　of　privacy。〃　And　yet　Roosevelt；　masterful　in　so　many　other　things；　was　masterful　in　this　also。　Nothing　interfered　with　the　seclusion　of　the　family　breakfast。　There　were　no　guests；　only　Mrs。　Roosevelt　and　the　children；　and　the　simplest　of　food。　At　Oyster　Bay　he　would　often　chop　trees　in　the　early　morning；　and　sometimes；　while　he　was　President；　he　would　ride　before　breakfast；　but　the　meal　itself　was　quiet；　private；　uninterrupted。　Then　each　member　of　the　family　would　go　about　his　or　her　work；　for　idleness　had　no　place　with　them。　The　President　spent　his　morning　in　attending　to　his　correspondence　and　dictating　letters；　then　in　receiving　persons　by　appointment；　and　he　always　reserved　time　when　any　American；　rich　or　poor；　young　or　old；　could　speak　to　him　freely。　He　liked　to　see　them　all　and　many　were　the　odd　experiences　which　he　had。　He　asked　one　old　lady　what　he　could　do　for　her。　She　replied：　〃Nothing；　I　came　all　the　way　from　Jacksonville；　Florida；　just　to　see　what　a　live　President　looked　like。　I　never　saw　one　before。〃

〃That's　very　kind　of　you；〃　the　President　replied；　〃persons　from　up　here　go　all　the　way　to　Florida　just　to　see　a　live　alligator〃and　so　he　put　the　visitor　at　her　ease。

Luncheon　was　a　varied　meal；　sometimes　there　were　only　two　or　three　guests　at　it；　at　other　times　there　might　be　a　dozen。　It　afforded　the　President　an　opportunity　for　talking　informally　with　visitors　whom　he　wished　to　see；　and　not　infrequently　it　brought　together　round　the　table　a　strange；　not　to　say　a　motley；　company。

After　luncheon　followed　more　work　in　his　office　for　the　President；　looking　over　the　letters　he　had　dictated　and　signing　them；　signing　documents　and　holding　interviews。　Later　in　the　afternoon　he　always　reserved　two　hours　for　a　walk　or　drive　with　Mrs。　Roosevelt。　Nothing　interfered　with　that。　In　the　season　he　played　tennis　with　some　of　the　large　group　of　companions　whom　he　gathered　round　him；　officials　high　and　low；　foreign　Ambassadors　and　Cabinet　Ministers　and　younger　under…secretaries　who　were　popularly　known　as　the　〃Tennis　Cabinet。〃　There　were　fifty　or　more　of　them；　and　that　so　many　should　have　kept　their　athletic　vigor　into　middle　age；　and　even　beyond　it；　spoke　well　for　the　physique　of　the　men　of　official　Washington　at　that　time。

At　Oyster　Bay　Roosevelt　had　instituted　〃hiking。〃　He　and　the　young　people　and　such　of　the　neighbors　as　chose　would　start　from　Sagamore　Hill　and　walk　in　a　bee…line　to　a　point　four　or　five　miles　off。　The　rule　was　that　no　natural　impediment　should　cause　them　to　digress　or　to　stop。　So　they　went　through　the　fields　and　over　the　fences；　across　ditches　and　pools；　and　even　clambered　up　and　down　a　haystack；　if　one　happened　to　be　in　the　way；　or　through　a　barnyard。　Of　course　they　often　reached　home　spattered　with　mud　or　even　drenched　to　the　skin　from　a　plunge　into　the　water；　but　with　much　fun；　a　livelier　circulation；　and　a　hearty　appetite　to　their　credit。

In　Washington　the　President　continued　this　practice　of　hiking；　but　in　a　somewhat　modified　form。　His　favorite　resort　was　Rock　Creek；　then　a　wild　stream；　with　a　good　deal　of　water　in　it；　and　here　and　there　steep；　rocky　banks。　To　be　invited　by　the　President　to　go　on　one　of　those　hikes　was　regarded　as　a　mark　of　special　favor。　He　indulged　in　them　to　test　a　man's　bodily　vigor　and　endurance；　and　there　were　many　amusing　incidents　and　perhaps　more　amusing　stories　about　them。　M。　Tardieu；　who　at　that　time　was　paying　a　short　visit　to　this　country　and　was　connected　with　the　French　Ministry　of　Foreign　Affairs；　told　me　that　the　dispatches　which　the　new　French　Ambassador；　M。　Jusserand；　sent　to　Paris　were　full　of　reports　on　President　Roosevelt's　personality。　The　Europeans　had　no　definite　conception　of　him　at　that　time；　and　so　the　sympathetic　and　much…esteemed　Ambassador；　who　still　represents　France　at　Washington；　tried　to　give　his　Government　information　by　which　it　could　judge　for　itself　what　sort　of　a　person　the　President　was。　What　must　have　been　the　surprise　in　the　French　Foreign　Office　when　it　received　the　following　dispatch：　（I　give　the　substance；　of　course；　because　I　have　not　seen　the　original。）：

'Yesterday；'　wrote　Ambassador　Jusserand；　'President　Roosevelt　invited　me　to　take　a　promenade　with　him　this　afternoon　at　three。　I　arrived　at　the　White　House　punctually；　in　afternoon　dress　and　silk　hat；　as　if　we　were　to　stroll　in　the　Tuileries　Garden　or　in　the　Champs　Elysees。　To　my　surprise；　the　President　soon　joined　me　in　a　tramping　suit；　with　knickerbockers　and　thick　boots；　and　soft　felt　hat；　much　worn。　Two　or　three　other　gentlemen　came；　and　we　started　off　at　what　seemed　to　me　a　breakneck　pace；　which　soon　brought　us　out　of　the　city。　On　reaching　the　country；　the　President　went　pell…mell　over　the　fields；　following　neither　road　nor　path；　always　on；　on；　straight　ahead！　I　was　much　winded；　but　I　would　not　give　in；　nor　ask　him　to　slow　up；　because　I　had　the　honor　of　La　belle　France　in　my　heart。　At　last　we　came　to　the　bank　of　a　stream；　rather　wide　and　too　deep　to　be　forded。　I　sighed　relief；　because　I　thought　that　now　we　had　reached　our　goal　and　would　rest　a　moment　and　catch　our　breath；　before　turning　homeward。　But　judge　of　my　horror　when　I　saw　the　President　unbutton　his　clothes　and　heard　him　say；　〃We　had　better　strip；　so　as　not　to　wet　our　things　in　the　Creek。〃　Then　I；　too；　for　the　honor　of　France；　removed　my　apparel；　everything　except　my　lavender　kid　gloves。　The　President　cast　an　inquiring　look　at　these　as　if　they；　too；　must　come　off；　but　I　quickly　forestalled　any　remark　by　saying；　〃With　your　permission；　Mr。　President；　I　will　keep　these　on；　otherwise　it　would　be　embarrassing　if　we　should　meet　ladies。〃　And　so　we　jumped　into　the　water　and　swam　across。'

M。　Jusserand　has　a　fine　sense　of　humor　and　doubtless　he　has　laughed　often　over　this　episode；　although　he　must　have　been　astonished　and　irritated　when　it　occurred。　But　it　gave　Roosevelt　exactly　what　he　wanted　by　showing　him　that　the　plucky　little　French　man　was　〃game〃　for　anything；　and　they　remained　firm　friends　for　life。

Occasionally；　one　of　the　guests　invited　on　a　hike　relucted　from　taking　the　plunge；　and　then　he　was　allowed　to　go　up　stream　or　down　and　find　a　crossing　at　a　bridge；　but　I　suspect　that　his　host　and　the　habitual　hikers　instinctively　felt　a　little　less　regard　for　him　after　that。　General　Leonard　Wood　was　one　of　Roosevelt's　boon　companions　on　these　excursions；　and；　speaking　of　him；　I　am　reminded　of　one　of　the　President's　orders　which　caused　a　great　flurry　among　Army　officers　in　Washington。

The　President　learned　that　many　of　these　officers　had　become　soft；　physically；　through　their　long　residence　in　the　city；　where　an　unmilitary　life　did　not　tend　to　keep　their　muscles　hard。　As　a　consequence　these　great　men　of　war　became　easy…going；　indolent　even；　better　suited　to　loaf　in　the　armchairs　of　the　Metropolitan　Club　and　discuss　campaigns　and　battles　long　ago　than　to　lead　troops　in　the　field。　〃Their　condition；〃　said　Roosevelt；　〃would　have　excited　laughter；　had　it　not　been　so　serious；　to　think　that　they　belonged　to　the　military　arm　of　the　Government。　A　cavalry　colonel　proved　unable　to　keep　his　horse　at　a　sharp　trot　for　even　half　a　mile　when　I　visited　his　post；　a　major…general　proved　afraid　even　to　let　his　horse　canter　when　he　went　on　a　ride　with　us；　and　certain　otherwise　good　men　proved　as　unable　to　walk　as　if　they　had　been　sedentary　brokers。〃　After　consulting　Generals　Wood　and　Bell；　who　were　themselves　real　soldiers　at　the　top　of　condition；　the　President　issued　orders　that　the　infantry　should　march　fifty　miles；　and　the　cavalry　one　hundred；　in　three　days。　There　was　an　outcry。　The　newspapers　denounced　Roosevelt　as　a　tyrant　who　followed　his　mere　caprices。　Some　of　the　officers　intrigued　with　Congressmen　to　nullify　the　order。　But　when　the　President　himself；　accompanied　by　Surgeon…General　Rixey　and　two　officers；　rode　more　than　one　hundred　miles　in　a　single　day　over　the　frozen　and　rutty　Virginia　roads；　the　objectors　could　not　keep　up　open　opposition。　Roosevelt　adds；　ironically；　that　three　naval　officers　who　walked　the　fifty　miles　in　a　day；　were　censured　for　not　obeying　instructions；　and　were　compelled　to　do　the　test　over　again　in　three　days。

Dinner　in　the　White　House　was　usually　a　formal　affair；　to　which　most；　if　not　all　the　guests；　at　least；　were　invited　some　time　in　advance。　There　were；　of　course；　the　official　dinners　to　the　foreign　diplomats；　to　the　justices　of　the　Supreme　Court；　to　the　members　of　the　Cabinet；　ordinarily；　they　might　be　described　as　general。　The　President　never　forgot　those　who　had　been　his　friends　at　any　period　of　his　life。　It　might　happen　that　Bill　Sewall；　his　earliest　guide　from　Maine；　or　a　Dakota　ranchman；　or　a　New　York　policeman；　or　one　of　his　trusted　enthusiasts　in　a　hard…　fought　political　campaign；　turned　up　at　the　White　House。　He　was　sure　to　be　asked　to　luncheon　or　to　dinner；　by　the　President。　And　these　former　chums　must　have　felt　somewhat　embarrassed；　if　they　were　capable　of　feeling　embarrassment；　when　they　found　themselves　seated　beside　some　of　the　great　ladies　of　Washington。　Perhaps　Roosevelt　himself　felt　a　little　trepidation　as　to　how　the　unmixables　would　mix。　He　is　reported　to　have　said　to　one　Western　cowboy　of　whom　he