Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919). Theodore Roosevelt’s Letters to His Children. 1919.
Irritating Remark by QuentinD
Mother went off for three days to New York and Mame and Quentin took instant advantage of her absence to fall sick. Quentin’s sickness was surely due to a riot in candy and ice-cream with chocolate sauce. He was a very sad bunny next morning and spent a couple of days in bed. Ethel, as always, was as good as gold both to him and to Archie, and largely relieved me of my duties as vice-mother. I got up each morning in time to breakfast with Ethel and Archie before they started for school, and I read a certain amount to Quentin, but this was about all. I think Archie escaped with a minimum of washing for the three days. One day I asked him before Quentin how often he washed his face, whereupon Quentin interpolated, “very seldom, I fear,” which naturally produced from Archie violent recriminations of a strongly personal type. Mother came back yesterday, having thoroughly enjoyed Parsifal. All the horses continue sick.