Who Was Eleanor Roosevelt 安娜·埃莉诺·罗斯福 Chapter 6 Marriage and Children

Although Franklin’s mother accepted the engagement 1, she had no intention of letting go of her son. After all, he was her only child. Eleanor tried her best to please Franklin’s mother. What that meant was letting Franklin’s mother make all the decisions for them. It was a problem that Eleanor would deal with for many years.



Franklin sent Eleanor flowers, poems, and books. And they talked. Some people thought that Eleanor could have chosen someone better. Not Eleanor. She said that she saw “the promise that was Franklin.” And he needed her. Franklin often said that Eleanor made him a better person. He felt that they made a good team. As time passed and they wrote to each other, Eleanor’s letters talked of how she would help him in his career. And Eleanor continued to try to win over Sara, Franklin’s mother. She spent time with her, lunching and going to the theater. Eleanor felt that they were growing closer.



Eleanor’s Uncle Teddy offered the couple the White House for their wedding ceremony. Eleanor and Franklin said no. They decided 2 to marry in New York. They wanted their wedding to be private. They picked March 17, 1905, so that her Uncle Teddy could attend.



March 17th was Saint 3 Patrick’s Day. Her Uncle Teddy would be coming to New York City to take part in the big parade that day. Then, afterward 4, he would arrive at the home of Eleanor’s cousin Susie on 76th Street. That was where the wedding was to be held. On the wedding day, the police closed off the street to protect Teddy. In fact, several guests were late for the wedding because of the security 5!



Eleanor walked down the aisle 6 on her Uncle Teddy’s arm. Guests whispered that Eleanor looked “regal” and “magnificent.” Others said that she looked like her mother. For once, Eleanor felt beautiful. She walked very tall and straight. Her thick, golden hair crowned 7 her head. Her lovely, gray eyes shone with love and pride. And waiting for her at the end of the aisle was handsome Franklin. The two hundred guests watched the couple exchange vows 8.



Unfortunately, the parade, which went by the house, almost drowned out the ceremony. Marchers sang loudly as they passed the open windows.



After the rings had been exchanged and the two had kissed, Teddy loudly declared, “Well, Franklin, there’s nothing like keeping the name in the family.” Eleanor was now Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt. Everyone laughed. Then Teddy immediately headed to the library for refreshments 9. Eleanor and Franklin were left alone. Eleanor later wrote about her wedding and described how everyone wanted to spend time with Teddy, not the newlyweds. Later on, when she was asked about the day, Eleanor would just smile and shrug 10. After all, Teddy was her favorite uncle. Teddy’s daughter, Alice, said of the day, “Father always wanted to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse 11 at every funeral.”



The couple first went to Hyde Park, New York, where Franklin had grown up. Then they returned to New York City so that Franklin could study for his law exams. They lived in a small apartment near Columbia University. As soon as Franklin finished his courses, the couple went to Europe for a long honeymoon 12.



Their first child, Anna, was born in May 1906. In December of 1907, James was born. Now, Eleanor’s days were filled with babies. But sadness soon replaced their happiness. Another son, Franklin Jr., was born in March 1909. He looked healthy and seemed fine, but there was something wrong with his heart. At seven months old, he caught the flu and died. There was nothing that she could have done, but Eleanor blamed herself for his death. Years later, she wrote that she never forgot the pain of burying her son. She often visited her little baby’s grave 13.



Eleanor had three more sons. The next son she named Elliott, after her father. And her next son she named Franklin Jr. And, finally, John was born in 1916.



Eleanor spent the next ten years raising her children and trying to be a good wife and daughter-in-law. The Roosevelts lived in New York City, where Franklin worked as a lawyer. Franklin’s mother bought two houses right next to each other. She had the two houses connected. She lived in one, and Franklin and Eleanor and the children lived in the other. Sara furnished Eleanor’s home. She hired all of Eleanor’s servants. And she often told Eleanor how to bring up her children. Eleanor saw her independence slipping away. She was even afraid to fire the servants Sara hired.



One nurse treated the boys badly. She did not believe James when he said he had brushed his teeth, so she made him wear his sister’s skirt and a sign that said “Liar.” Then she made him walk up and down the street in front of their house. Eleanor’s heart broke when she came home and saw her son. But she did not have the nerve 14 to fire the nurse until she found whiskey bottles in her room.



Eleanor complained to Franklin about Sara, but he did not want to go against his mother. Eleanor did not know what to do. She wanted to stand up for herself, but all her life she had been taught to be a good girl and obey her elders. Then something happened that would change both Eleanor and Franklin’s lives. The Democrats 15 asked Franklin to run for the New York State Senate 16. It was the beginning of his long career in politics. And it was the beginning of a new career for Eleanor, too.