Teddy's Taxidermy

As a young boy, Teddy Roosevelt was an avid naturalist, collecting specimens everywhere he went...Germany, Greece, Egypt, England, Austria. His family regularly traveled abroad and on one of their extended holidays, younger brother, Elliot, who was doomed to share space with young Teddy, appealed to their father:

"Father, do you think it would be extravagant if I were now and then to have a room to myself in hotels? Come and see our room."

Mr. Roosevelt did. There were bottles on the tables and the chairs; there were bottles on the mantel and the wash-stand. Clothes were everywhere...and in the basin were the entrails of animals recently deceased.

Theodore was intent on scientific investigation...If it seemed necessary to the interests of science to keep defunct field-mice in the family refrigerator, he kept them there; if it seemed to him important to house a snake or two in the guest-room water-pitcher, the possible emotions of a guest discovering them there did not enter into consideration. He felt it his duty to study field-mice and snakes and that was all there was about it.

This inquisitive mind of Teddy's housed itself in a weak body and a rather timid soul. He had to feign bravery for some time before he actually became brave and he worked diligently to build the physical strength and stamina that came easily to other young men.

What Theodore Roosevelt had, which most of the others had not, was deep hunger to excel, to be of the fellowship of the doers of great deeds. With it, vague at first, but increasingly clear, came the recognition that men attain only through endless struggle against the sloth, the impurity, the fears, the doubts, the false content in their own hearts. He determined to build up for himself a clean, valiant, fighting soul.

Excerpts in blue from The Boy's Life of Theodore Roosevelt by Hermann Hagedorn.