theodore roosevelt-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


at　we　intended　to　do　after　graduation。　〃I　am　going　to　try　to　help　the　cause　of　better　government　in　New　York　City；　I　don't　know　exactly　how；〃　said　Theodore。

I　recall；　still；　looking　hard　at　him　with　an　eager；　inquisitive　look　and　saying　to　myself；　〃I　wonder　whether　he　is　the　real　thing；　or　only　the　bundle　of　eccentricities　which　he　appears。〃　There　was　in　me　then；　as　there　has　always　been；　a　mingling　of　skepticism　and　of　deep　reverence　for　those　who　dealt　with　reality；　and　I　had　not　had　sufficient　opportunity　to　determine　whether　Roosevelt　was　real　or　not。　One　at　least　of　his　classmates；　however；　saw　portents　of　greatness　in　Theodore；　from　their　Freshman　year；　and　most　of　us；　even　when　we　were　amused　and　puzzled　by　his　〃　queerness；〃　were　very　sure　that　the　man　from　whom　they　sprang　was　not　commonplace。

So　far　as　I　remember；　Roosevelt　was　the　first　undergraduate　to　own　and　drive　a　dog…cart。　This　excited　various　comments；　so　did　the　reddish；　powder…puff　side　whiskers　which　no　chaffing　could　make　him　cut。　There　was　never　the　slightest　suggestion　of　the　gilded　youth　about　him；　though　dog…carts；　especially　when　owned　by　young　men；　implied　the　habits　and　standards　of　the　gilded　rich。　How　explain　the　paradox？　On　the　other　hand；　Theodore　taught　Sunday　School　at　Christ　Church；　but　he　was　so　muscular　a　Christian　that　the　decorous　vestrymen　thought　him　an　unwise　guide　in　piety。　For　one　day　a　boy　came　to　class　with　a　black　eye　which　he　had　got　in　fighting　a　larger　boy　for　pinching　his　sister。　Theodore　told　him　that　he　did　perfectly　rightthat　every　boy　ought　to　defend　any　girl　from　insultand　he　gave　him　a　dollar　as　a　reward。　The　vestrymen　decided　that　this　was　too　flagrant　approval　of　fisticuffs；　so　the　young　teacher　soon　found　a　welcome　in　the　Sunday　School　of　a　different　denomination。

Of　all　the　stories　of　Roosevelt's　college　career；　that　of　his　boxing　match　is　most　vividly　remembered。　He　enrolled　in　the　light…weight　sparring　at　the　meeting　in　the　Harvard　Gymnasium　on　March　22　1879；　and　defeated　his　first　competitor。　When　the　referee　called　〃time；〃　Roosevelt　immediately　dropped　his　hands；　but　the　other　man　dealt　him　a　savage　blow　on　the　face；　at　which　we　all　shouted；　〃Foul；　foul！〃　and　hissed；　but　Roosevelt　turned　towards　us　and　cried　out　〃Hush！　He　didn't　hear；〃　a　chivalrous　act　which　made　him　immediately　popular。　In　his　second　match　he　met　Hanks。　They　both　weighed　about　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　pounds；　but　Hanks　was　two　or　three　inches　taller　and　he　had　a　much　longer　reach；　so　that　Theodore　could　not　get　in　his　blows；　and　although　he　fought　with　unabated　pluck；　he　lost　the　contest。　More　serious　than　his　short　reach；　however；　was　his　near…sightedness；　which　made　it　impossible　for　him　to　see　and　parry　Hanks's　lunges。　When　time　was　called　after　the　last　round；　his　face　was　dashed　with　blood　and　he　was　much　winded；　but　his　spirit　did　not　flag；　and　if　there　had　been　another　round；　he　would　have　gone　into　it　with　undiminished　determination。　From　this　contest　there　sprang　up　the　legend　that　Roosevelt　boxed　with　his　eyeglasses　lashed　to　his　head；　and　the　legend　floated　hither　and　thither　for　nearly　thirty　years。　Not　long　ago　I　asked　him　the　truth。　〃Persons　who　believe　that；〃　he　said；　〃must　think　me　utterly　crazy；　for　one　of　Charlie　Hanks's　blows　would　have　smashed　my　eyeglasses　and　probably　blinded　me　for　life。〃

In　a　class　of　one　hundred　and　seventy　he　graduated　twenty　second；　which　entitled　him　to　membership　in　the　Phi　Beta　Kappa；　the　society　of　high　scholars。　To　one　who　examines　his　academic　record　wisely；　the　best　symptom　is　that　he　did　fairly　well　in　several　unrelated　subjects；　and　achieved　preeminence　in　one；　natural　history。　He　had　the　all…round　quality　which　shows　more　promise　than　does　a　propensity　to　light　on　a　particular　topic　and　suck　it　dry；　but　he　had　also　power　of　concentration　and　thoroughness。　As　I　have　just　said；　he　was　a　happy　combination　of　the　amateurish　and　intense。　His　habit　of　absorption　became　a　by…word；　for　if　he　visited　a；　classmate's　room　and　saw　a　book　which　interested　him；　instead　of　joining　in　the　talk；　he　would　devour　the　book；　oblivious　of；　everything　else；　until　the　college　bell　rang　for　the　next　lecture；　when　he　would　jump　up　with　a　start；　and　dash　off。　The　quiet　but　firm　teaching　of　his　parents　bore　fruit　in　him：　he　came　to　college　with　a　body　of　rational　moral　principles　which　he　made　no　parade　of；　but　obeyed　instinctively。　And　so；　where　many　young　fellows　are　thrown　off　their　balance　on　first　acquiring　the　freedom　which　college　life　gives；　or　are　dazed　and　distracted　on　first　hearing　the　babel　of　strange　philosophies　or　novel　doctrines；　he　walked　straight；　held　himself　erect；　and　was　not　fooled　into　mistaking　novelty　for　truth；　or　libertinism　for　manliness。

Two　outside　events　which　deeply　influenced　him　must　be　noted。　During　his　Sophomore　year　his　father　died；　and　during　his　Senior　year；　Theodore　became　engaged　to　Miss　Alice　Hathaway　Lee；　daughter　of　George　C。　Lee；　of　Chestnut　Hill；　Massachusetts。



CHAPTER　II。　BREAKING　INTO　POLITICS

Roosevelt　was　a　few　months　less　than　twenty…two　years　old　when　he　graduated　from　Harvard。　His　career　in　college　had　wrought　several　important　changes　in　him。　First　of　all；　his　strength　was　confirmed。　Although　he　still　suffered　occasionally　from　asthma；　he　was　no　longer　handicapped。　In　business；　or　in　pleasure；　he　did　not　need　to　consider　his　health。　Next；　he　had　come　to　some　definite　decision　as　to　what　he　would　do。　His　earlier　dream　of　becoming　a　professor　of　natural　history　had　faded　away。　With　the　inpouring　of　vigor　into　his　constitution　the　ideal　of　an　academic　life；　often　sedentary　in　mind　as　well　as　in　body；　ceased　to　lure　him。　He　craved　activity；　and　this　craving　was　bound　to　grow　more　urgent　as　he　acquired　more　strength。　Next；　and　this　consideration　must　not　be　neglected；　he　was　free　to　choose。　His　father's　death　left　him　the　possessor　of　a　sufficient　fortune　to　live　on　comfortably　without　need　of　working　to　earn　his　bread　and　butterthe　motive　which　determines　most　young　men　when　they　start　in　life。　Finally；　his　father's　example；　reinforced　by　wholesome　advice；　quickened　in　Theodore　his　sense　of　obligation　to　the　community。　Having　money；　he　must　use　it；　not　for　mere　personal　gratification；　but　in　ways　which　would　benefit　those　who　were　deprived；　or　outcast；　or　bereft。　But　Theodore　was　too　young　and　too　energetic　to　be　contented　with　the　life　of　a　philanthropist；　no　matter　how　noble　and　necessary　its　objects　might　be。　He　had　already　accepted　Emerson's　dictum：

〃He　who　feeds　men；　serves　a　few；　He　serves　all　who　dares　be　true。〃

Young　as　he　was；　he　divined　that　much　of　the　charitable　work；　to　which　good　people　devote　them　selves　in　order　to　lighten　or　relieve　the　ills　which　the　sins　and　errors　of　mankind　beget；　would　be　needless　if　the　remedy　were　applied；　as　it　ought　to　be；　to　fundamental　social　conditions。　These；　he　believed；　could　be　reached　in　many　cases　through　political　agency；　and　he　resolved；　therefore；　to　make　a　trial　of　his　talents　in　political　life。　The　point　at　which　he　decided　to　〃break　into　politics；　〃　as　he　expressed　it；　was　the　Assembly；　or　Lower　House　of　the　New　York　State　Legislature。　Most　of　his　friends　and　classmates；　on　hearing　of　his　plan；　regarded　it　as　a　proof　of　his　eccentricity；　a　few　of　them；　the　more　discerning；　would　not　prejudge　him；　but　were　rather　inclined　to　hope。　By　tradition　and　instinct；　he　was　a　Republican；　and　in　order　to　learn　the　political　ropes　he　joined　the　Twenty…first　District　Republican　Association　of　New　York　City。　The　district　consisted　chiefly　of　rich；　respectable；　and　socially　conspicuous　inhabitants　of　the　vortex　metropolis；　with　a　leaven　of　the　〃masses。〃　The　〃classes〃　had　no　real　zeal　for　discharging　their　political　duty。　They　subscribed　to　the　campaign　fund；　but　had　too　delicate　a　sense　of　propriety　to　ask　how　their　money　was　spent。　A　few　of　themand　these　seemed　to　be　endowed　with　a　special　modicum　of　patriotismeven　attended　the　party　primaries　in　which　candidates　were　named。　The　majority　went　to　the　polls　and　cast　their　vote　on　election　day；　if　it　did　not　rain　or　snow。　For　a　young　man　of　Roosevelt's　position　to　desire　to　take　up　politics　seemed　to　his　friends　almost　comic。　Politics　were　low　and　corrupt；　politics　were　not　for　〃gentlemen〃；　they　were　the　business　and　pastime　of　liquor…dealers；　and　of　the　degenerates　and　loafers　who　frequented　the　saloons；　of　horse…car　conductors；　and　of　many　others　whose　ties　with　〃respectability〃　were　slight。

To　join　the　organization；　Roosevelt　had　to　be　elected　to　the　Twenty…first　District　Republican　Club；　for　the　politicians　of　those　days　kept　their　organization　close；　not　to　say　exclusive；　and　in　this　way　they　secured　the　docility　of　their　members。　The　Twenty　first　District　Club　met　in　Morton　Hall；　a　dingy；　barnlike　room　situated　over　a　saloon；　and　furnished　severely　with　wooden　benches；　many　spittoons；　and　a　speaker's　table　decorated　with　a　large　pitcher　for　ice…water。　The　regular　meetings　came　once　a　month　and　Roosevelt　attended　them　faithfully；　because　he　never　did　things　by　halves；　and　having　made　up　his　mind　to　learn　the　mechanism　of　politics；　he　would　not　neglect　any　detail。

Despite　the　shyness　which　ill　health　caused　him　in　his　youth；　he　was　really　a　good　〃mi