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。

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