Of good housekeeping； she threw them away。 When Theodore discovered it he flew into a tantrum and protested that what hurt him most was 〃the loss to Science！ the loss to Science！〃 On another occasion Science suffered a loss of unknown extent owing to his obligation to manners。 He and his cousin had filled their pockets and whatever bags they had with specimens。 Then they came upon two toads； of a strange and new variety。 Having no more room left； each boy put one of them on top of his head and clapped down his hat。 All went well till they met Mrs。 Hamilton Fish； a great lady to whom they had to take off their hats。 Down jumped the toads and hopped away； and Science was never able to add the Bufo Rooseveltianus to its list of Hudson Valley reptiles。
In 1869 Mr。 Roosevelt took his family to Europe for a year。 The children did not care to go； and from the start Theodore was homesick and little interested。 Of course； picture galleries meant nothing to a boy of ten； with a naturalist's appetite； and he could not know enough about history to be impressed by historic places and monuments。 He kept a diary from which Mr。 Hagedorn* prints many amusing entries； some of which I quote：
* H。 Hagedorn： The Boy's Life of Theodore Roosevelt。 Harper & Bros。 1918。
Munich； October。 〃In the night I had a nightmare dreaming that the devil was carrying me away and had collorer morbos （a sickness that is not very dangerous） but Mama patted me with her delicate fingers。〃
Little Conie also kept a diary： the next entry is from it：
Paris。 〃I am so glad Mama has let me stay in the butiful hotel parlor while the poor boys have been dragged off to the orful picture galary。〃
Now Theodore again：
Paris； November 26。 〃I stayed in the house all day； varying the day with brushing my hair； washing my hands and thinking in fact haveing a verry dull time。〃
〃Nov。 27。 I Did the same thing as yesterday。〃
Chamounix。 〃I found several specimens to keep and we went on the great glacier called 'Mother of ice！'〃
〃We went to our cousins school at Waterloo。 We had a nice time but met Jeff Davises son and some sharp words ensued。〃
Venice。 〃We saw a palace of the doges。 It looks like a palace you could be comfortable and snug in （which is not usual）We went to another church in which Conie jumped over tombstones spanked me banged Ellies head &c。〃
〃Conie〃 was his nickname for his younger sister Corinne。*
* She subsequently married Mr。 Douglas Robinson。
November 22。 〃In the evening Mama showed me the portrait of Eidieth Carow and her face stirred up in me homesickness and longings for the past which will come again never aback never。〃
The little girl； the sight of whose portrait stirred such longings for the past in the heart of the young Theodore； was Edith Carow； the special playmate of his sister Conie and one of the intimate group whom he had always known。 Years later she became his wife。
The Roosevelt family returned to New York in May； 1870； and resumed its ordinary life。 Theodore； whom one of his fellow travelers on the steamer remembers as 〃a tall thin lad with bright eyes and legs like pipestems；〃 developed rapidly in mind； but the asthma still tormented him and threatened to make a permanent invalid of him。 His father fitted up in the house in Twentieth Street a small gymnasium and said to the boy in substance； 〃You have brains； but you have a sickly body。 In order to make your brains bring you what they ought； you must build up your body； it depends upon you。〃 The boy felt both the obligation and the desire； he willed to be strong； and he went through his gymnastic exercises with religious precision。 What he read in his books about knights and paladins and heroes had always greatly moved his imagination。 He wanted to be like them。 He understood that the one indispensable attribute common to all of them was bodily strength。 Therefore he would be strong。 Through all his suffering he was patient and determined。 But I recall no other boy； enfeebled by a chronic and often distressing disease； who resolved as he did to conquer his enemy by a wisely planned and unceasing course of exercises。
Improvement came slowly。 Many were the nights in which he spent hours gasping for breath。 Sometimes on summer nights his father would wrap him up and take him on a long drive through the darkness in search of fresh air。 But no matter how hard the pinch； the boy never complained； and when ever there was a respite his vivacity burst forth as fresh as ever。 He could not attend school with other boys and； indeed； his realization that he could not meet them on equal physical terms made him timid when he was thrown with them。 So he pursued his own tastes with all the more zeal。 He read many books； some of which seemed beyond a boy's ken； but he got something from each of them。 His power of concentration already surprised his family。 If he was absorbed in a chapter； nothing which went on outside of him； either noise or interruption； could distract his attention。 His passion for natural his tory increased。 At the age of ten； he opened in one of the rooms of his home 〃The Roosevelt Museum of Natural History。〃 Later； he devoted himself more particularly to birds； and learned from a taxidermist how to skin and stuff his specimens。
In 1873； President Grant appointed Mr。 Roosevelt a Commissioner to the Vienna Exposition and the Roosevelt family made another foreign tour。 Hoping to benefit Theodore's asthma they went to Algiers； and up the Nile； where he was much more interested in the flocks of aquatic fowl than in the half…buried temples of Dendera or the obelisks and pylons of Karnak。 He even makes no mention of the Pyramids； but records with enthusiasm that he found at Cairo a book by an English clergyman； whose name he forgot； on the ornithology of the Nile； which greatly helped him。 Incidentally； he says that from the Latin names of the birds he made his first acquaintance with that language。 While Mr。 Roosevelt attended to his duties in Vienna the younger children were placed in the family of Herr Minckwitz； a Government official at Dresden。 There； Theodore； 〃in spite of himself；〃 learned a good deal of German； and he never forgot his pleasant life among the Saxons in the days be fore the virus of Prussian barbarism had poisoned all the non…Prussian Germans。 Minckwitz had been a Liberal in the Revolution of 1848； a fact which added to Theodore's interest in him。
On getting home； Theodore； who was fifteen years old； set to work seriously to fit himself to enter Harvard College。 Up to this time his education had been unmethodical； leaving him behind his fellows in some subjects and far ahead of them in others。 He had the good fortune now to secure as a tutor Mr。 Arthur H。 Cutler； for many years head of the Cutler Preparatory School in New York City； thanks to whose excellent training he was able to enter college in 1876。 During these years of preparation Theodore's health steadily improved。 He had a gun and was an ardent sportsman； the incentive of adding specimens to his collection of birds and animals outweighing the mere sport of slaughter。 At Oyster Bay； where his father first leased a house in 1874； he spent much of his time on the water； but he deemed sailing rather lazy and unexciting； compared with rowing。 He enjoyed taking his row…boat out into the Sound； and； if a high headwind was blowing； or the sea ran in whitecaps； so much the better。 He was now able to share in all of the athletic pastimes of his companions； although； so far as I know； he never indulged in baseball； the commonest game of all。
When he entered Harvard as a Freshman in 1876； that institution was passing through its transition from college to university； which had begun when Charles W。 Eliot became its President seven years before。 In spite of vehement assaults； the Great Educator pushed on his reform slowly but resistlessly。 He needed to train not only the public but many members； perhaps a majority； of his faculty。 Young Roosevelt found a body of eight hundred undergraduates； the largest number up to that time。 While the Elective System had been introduced in the upper classes； Freshmen and Sophomores were still required to take the courses prescribed for them。
To one who looks back； after forty years； on the Harvard of that time there was much about it； the loss of which must be regretted。 Limited in many directions it was； no doubt； but its very limitations made for friendship and for that sense of intimate mutual； relationship； out of which springs mutual affection。 You belonged to Harvard； and she to you。 That she was small； compared with her later magnitude； no more lessened your love for her； than your love for your own mother could be increased were she suddenly to become a giantess。 The undergraduate community was not exactly a large family； but it was； nevertheless； restricted enough not only for a fellow to know at least by sight all of his classmates； but also to have some knowledge of what was going on in other classes as well as in the College as a whole。 Academic fame； too； had a better chance then than it has now。 There were eight or ten professors； whom most of the fellows knew by sight； and all by reputation； now； however； I meet intelligent students who have never heard even the name of the head of some department who is famous throughout the world among his colleagues； but whose courses that student has never taken。
In spite of the simplicity and the homelikeness of the Harvard with eight hundred undergraduates； however； it was large enough to afford the opportunity of meeting men of many different tastes and men from all parts of the country。 So it gave free play to the development of individual talents； and its standard of scholarship was already sufficiently high to ensure the excellence of the best scholars it trained。 One quality which we probably took little note of； although it must have affected us all； sprang from the fact that Harvard was still a crescent institution； she was in the full vigor of growth； of expansion； of increase； and we shared insensibly from being connected with that growth。 In retrospect now； and giving due recognition to this crescent spirit； I recall that； in spite of it； Omar Khayyam was the favorite poet of many of