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。