Thanksgivingwasanappreciatedfestival，butitinnowaycameuptoChristmas。Christmaswasanoccasionofliterallydeliriousjoy。Intheeveningwehungupourstockings——orratherthebiggeststockingswecouldborrowfromthegrown-ups——andbeforedawnwetroopedintoopenthemwhilesittingonfather’sandmother’sbed；andthebiggerpresentswerearranged，thoseforeachchildonitsowntable，inthedrawing-room，thedoorstowhichwerethrownopenafterbreakfast。I
　　neverknewanyoneelsehavewhatseemedtomesuchattractiveChristmases，andinthenextgenerationItriedtoreproducethemexactlyformyownchildren。
　　Myfather，TheodoreRoosevelt，wasthebestmanIeverknew。Hecombinedstrengthandcouragewithgentleness，tenderness，andgreatunselfishness。Hewouldnottolerateinuschildrenselfishnessorcruelty，idleness，cowardice，oruntruthfulness。Aswegrewolderhemadeusunderstandthatthesamestandardofcleanlivingwasdemandedfortheboysasforthegirls；thatwhatwaswronginawomancouldnotberightinaman。Withgreatloveandpatience，andthemostunderstandingsympathyandconsideration，hecombinedinsistenceondiscipline。Heneverphysicallypunishedmebutonce，buthewastheonlymanofwhomIwaseverreallyafraid。Idonotmeanthatitwasawrongfear，forhewasentirelyjust，andwechildrenadoredhim。Weusedtowaitinthelibraryintheeveninguntilwecouldhearhiskeyrattlinginthelatchofthefronthall，andthenrushouttogreethim；andwewouldtroopintohisroomwhilehewasdressing，tostaythereaslongaswewerepermitted，eagerlyexamininganythingwhichcameoutofhispocketswhichcouldberegardedasanattractivenovelty。Everychildhasfixedinhismemoryvariousdetailswhichstrikeitasofgraveimportance。Thetrinketsheusedtokeepinalittleboxonhisdressing-tablewechildrenalwaysusedtospeakofas“treasures。”Theword，andsomeofthetrinketsthemselves，passedontothenextgeneration。Myownchildren，whensmall，usedtotroopintomyroomwhileIwasdressing，andthegraduallyaccumulatingtrinketsinthe“ditty-box“——thegiftofanenlistedmaninthenavy——
　　alwaysexcitedrapturousjoy。Onoccasionsofsolemnfestivityeachchildwouldreceiveatrinketforhisorher“veryown。”Mychildren，bytheway，enjoyedonepleasureIdonotrememberenjoyingmyself。
　　WhenIcamebackfromriding，thechildwhobroughtthebootjackwoulditselfpromptlygetintotheboots，andclumpupanddowntheroomwithadelightfulfeelingofkinshipwithJackoftheseven-leaguestrides。
　　ThepunishingincidentIhavereferredtohappenedwhenIwasfouryearsold。Ibitmyeldersister’sarm。Idonotrememberbitingherarm，butIdorememberrunningdowntotheyard，perfectlyconsciousthatIhadcommittedacrime。FromtheyardIwentintothekitchen，gotsomedoughfromthecook，andcrawledunderthekitchentable。InaminuteortwomyfatherenteredfromtheyardandaskedwhereIwas。
　　Thewarm-heartedIrishcookhadacharacteristiccontemptfor“informers。”butalthoughshesaidnothingshecompromisedbetweeninformingandherconsciencebycastingalookunderthetable。Myfatherimmediatelydroppedonallfoursanddartedforme。Ifeeblyheavedthedoughathim，and，havingtheadvantageofhimbecauseI
　　couldstandupunderthetable，gotafairstartforthestairs，butwascaughthalfwayupthem。Thepunishmentthatensuedfittedthecrime，andIhope——andbelieve——thatitdidmegood。
　　Ineverknewanyonewhogotgreaterjoyoutoflivingthandidmyfather，oranyonewhomorewhole-heartedlyperformedeveryduty；andnoonewhomIhaveevermetapproachedhiscombinationofenjoymentoflifeandperformanceofduty。Heandmymotherweregiventoahospitalitythatatthattimewasassociatedmorecommonlywithsouthernthannorthernhouseholds；and，especiallyintheirlateryearswhentheyhadmoveduptown，intheneighborhoodofCentralPark，theykeptacharming，openhouse。
　　Myfatherworkedhardathisbusiness，forhediedwhenhewasforty-
　　six，tooearlytohaveretired。Hewasinterestedineverysocialreformmovement，andhedidanimmenseamountofpracticalcharitableworkhimself。Hewasabig，powerfulman，withaleonineface，andhisheartfilledwithgentlenessforthosewhoneededhelporprotection，andwiththepossibilityofmuchwrathagainstabullyoranoppressor。Hewasveryfondofridingbothontheroadandacrossthecountry，andwasalsoagreatwhip。Heusuallydrovefour-in-hand，orelseaspiketeam，thatis，apairwithathirdhorseinthelead。I
　　donotsupposethatsuchateamexistsnow。Thetrapthathedrovewealwayscalledthehighphaeton。Thewheelsturnedunderinfront。I
　　haveityet。Hedrovelong-tailedhorses，harnessedlooseinlightAmericanharness，sothatthewholerighadnopossibleresemblancetoanythingthatwouldbeseennow。Myfatheralwaysexcelledinimprovingeverysparehalf-hourorthree-quartersofanhour，whetherforworkorenjoyment。Muchofhisfour-in-handdrivingwasdoneinthesummerafternoonswhenhewouldcomeoutonthetrainfromhisbusinessinNewYork。Mymotherandoneorperhapstwoofuschildrenmightmeethimatthestation。Icanseehimnowgettingoutofthecarinhislinenduster，jumpingintothewagon，andinstantlydrivingoffatarattlingpace，thedustersometimesbagginglikeaballoon。
　　Thefour-in-hand，ascanbegatheredfromtheabovedescription，didnotinanywayinhiseyesrepresentpossiblepageantry。Hedroveitbecausehelikedit。Hewasalwayspreachingcautiontohisboys，butinthisrespecthedidnotpracticehispreachingovermuchhimself；
　　and，beinganexcellentwhip，helikedtotakechances。Generallytheycameoutallright。Occasionallytheydidnot；buthewasevenbetteratgettingoutofascrapethanintoit。OncewhenweweredrivingintoNewYorklateatnighttheleadersstopped。Heflickedthem，andthenextmomentwecoulddimlymakeoutthattheyhadjumped。Itthenappearedthatthestreetwasclosedandthataboardhadbeenplacedacrossit，restingontwobarrels，butwithoutalantern。Overthisboardtheleadershadjumped，andtherewasconsiderableexcitementbeforewegottheboardtakenoffthebarrelsandresumedourway。
　　WheninthecityonThanksgivingorChristmas，myfatherwasveryapttodrivemymotherandacoupleoffriendsuptotheracingparktotakelunch。ButhewasalwaysbackintimetogotothedinnerattheNewsboys’Lodging-House，andnotinfrequentlyalsotoMissSattery’sNightSchoolforlittleItalians。Ataveryearlyagewechildrenweretakenwithhimandwererequiredtohelp。HewasastaunchfriendofCharlesLoringBrace，andwasparticularlyinterestedintheNewsboys’
　　Lodging-HouseandinthenightschoolsandingettingthechildrenoffthestreetsandoutonfarmsintheWest。WhenIwasPresident，theGovernorofAlaskaunderme，GovernorBrady，wasoneoftheseex-
　　newsboyswhohadbeensentfromNewYorkoutWestbyMr。Braceandmyfather。Myfatherwasgreatlyinterestedinthesocietiestopreventcrueltytochildrenandcrueltytoanimals。OnSundayshehadamissionclass。OnhiswaytoitheusedtodropuschildrenatourSunday-schoolinDr。Adams’sPresbyterianChurchonMadisonSquare；I
　　rememberhearingmyaunt，mymother’ssister，sayingthatwhenhewalkedalongwithuschildrenhealwaysremindedherofGreatheartinBunyan。UnderthespurofhisexampleItaughtamissionclassmyselfforthreeyearsbeforegoingtocollegeandforallfouryearsthatI
　　wasincollege。IdonotthinkImademuchofasuccessofit。ButtheotherdayongettingoutofataxiinNewYorkthechauffeurspoketomeandtoldmethathewasoneofmyoldSunday-schoolpupils。I
　　rememberedhimwell，andwasmuchpleasedtofindthathewasanardentBullMooser！
　　Mymother，MarthaBulloch，wasasweet，gracious，beautifulSouthernwoman，adelightfulcompanionandbelovedbyeverybody。Shewasentirely“unreconstructed“tothedayofherdeath。Hermother，mygrandmother，oneofthedearestofoldladies，livedwithus，andwasdistinctlyoverindulgenttouschildren，beingquiteunabletohardenherhearttowardsusevenwhentheoccasiondemandedit。TowardsthecloseoftheCivilWar，althoughaverysmallboy，Igrewtohaveapartialbutalertunderstandingofthefactthatthefamilywerenotoneintheirviewsaboutthatconflict，myfatherbeingastrongLincolnRepublican；andonce，whenIfeltthatIhadbeenwrongedbymaternaldisciplineduringtheday，IattemptedapartialvengeancebyprayingwithloudfervorforthesuccessoftheUnionarms，whenweallcametosayourprayersbeforemymotherintheevening。Shewasnotonlyamostdevotedmother，butwasalsoblessedwithastrongsenseofhumor，andshewastoomuchamusedtopunishme；butIwaswarnednottorepeattheoffense，underpenaltyofmyfather’sbeinginformed——hebeingthedispenserofseriouspunishment。Morningprayerswerewithmyfather。Weusedtostandatthefootofthestairs，andwhenfathercamedownwecalledout，“Ispeakforyouandthecubby-holetoo！”Therewerethreeofusyoungchildren，andweusedtositwithfatheronthesofawhileheconductedmorningprayers。Theplacebetweenfatherandthearmofthesofawecalledthe“cubby-hole。”Thechildwhogotthatplaceweregardedasespeciallyfavoredbothincomfortandsomehoworotherinrankandtitle。Thetwowhowerelefttositonthemuchwiderexpanseofsofaontheothersideoffatherwereoutsidersforthetimebeing。
　　MyauntAnna，mymother’ssister，livedwithus。Shewasasdevotedtouschildrenaswasmymotherherself，andwewereequallydevotedtoherinreturn。Shetaughtusourlessonswhilewewerelittle。SheandmymotherusedtoentertainusbythehourwithtalesoflifeontheGeorgiaplantations；ofhuntingfox，deer，andwildcat；ofthelong-
　　taileddrivinghorses，BooneandCrockett，andoftheridinghorses，oneofwhichwasnamedBuenaVistainafitofpatrioticexaltationduringtheMexicanWar；andofthequeergoings-onintheNegroquarters。Sheknewallthe“Br’erRabbit“stories，andIwasbroughtuponthem。Oneofmyuncles，RobertRoosevelt，wasmuchstruckwiththem，andtookthemdownfromherdictation，publishingthemin/Harper’s/，wheretheyfellflat。Thiswasagoodmanyyearsbeforeageniusarosewhoin“UncleRemus“madethestoriesimmortal。
　　Mymother’stwobrothers，JamesDunwoodieBullochandIrvineBulloch，cametovisitusshortlyafterthecloseofthewar。Bothcameunderassumednames，astheywereamongtheConfederateswhowereatthattimeexemptedfromtheamnesty。“UncleJimmy“Bullochwasadearoldretiredsea-captain，utterlyunableto“geton“intheworldlysenseofthatphrase，asvaliantandsimpleanduprightasoulaseverlived，averitableColonelNewcome。HewasanAdmiralintheConfederatenavy，andwasthebuilderofthefamousConfederatewarvesselAlabama。MyuncleIrvineBullochwasamidshipmanonthe/Alabama/，andfiredthelastgundischargedfromherbatteriesinthefightwiththe/Kearsarge/。BothoftheseuncleslivedinLiverpoolafterthewar。
　　MyuncleJimmyBullochwasforgivingandjustinreferencetotheUnionforces，andcoulddiscussallphasesoftheCivilWarwithentirefairnessandgenerosity。ButinEnglishpoliticshepromptlybecameaToryofthemostultra-conservativeschool。LincolnandGranthecouldadmire，buthewouldnotlistentoanythinginfavorofMr。
　　Gladstone。TheonlyoccasionsonwhichIevershookhisfaithinmewerewhenIwouldventuremeeklytosuggestthatsomeofthemanifestlypreposterousfalsehoodsaboutMr。Gladstonecouldnotbetrue。MyunclewasoneofthebestmenIhaveeverknown，andwhenI
　　havesometimesbeentemptedtowonderhowgoodpeoplecanbelieveofmetheunjustandimpossiblethingstheydobelieve，IhaveconsoledmyselfbythinkingofUncleJimmyBulloch’sperfectlysincereconvictionthatGladstonewasamanofquiteexceptionalandnamelessinfamyinbothpublicandprivatelife。
　　Iwasasickly，delicateboy，sufferedmuchfromasthma，andfrequentlyhadtobetakenawayontripstofindaplacewhereIcouldbreathe。OneofmymemoriesisofmyfatherwalkingupanddowntheroomwithmeinhisarmsatnightwhenIwasaverysmallperson，andofsittingupinbedgasping，withmyfatherandmothertryingtohelpme。Iwentverylittletoschool。Ineverwenttothepublicschools，asmyownchildrenlaterdid，bothatthe“CoveSchool“atOysterBayandatthe“FordSchool“inWashington。ForafewmonthsIattendedProfessorMcMullen’sschoolinTwentiethStreetnearthehousewhereI
　　wasborn，butmostofthetimeIhadtutors。AsIhavealreadysaid，myaunttaughtmewhenIwassmall。AtonetimewehadaFrenchgoverness，alovedandvalued“mam’selle。”inthehousehold。