By
Catherine Ulrich Brakefield
Elliott
was a womanizer, an alcoholic, and his one shining attribute was that he adored
his daughter, and she adored him in return. Not so with Eleanor’s beautiful and
talented mother. She thought ‘Little Nell' was plain, boring, and much too serious
for a little girl. So, when Eleanor's mother died in 1892, Theodore Roosevelt’s
wife said, “I do not feel she has much chance, poor little soul.”
Eleanor
was eight at the time. Two years later, her father died. So, it would seem the
Roosevelts of Oyster Bay had wiped their hands of these orphans. But it is not
the case with Eleanor’s maternal grandmother, Mary Livingstone Ludlow Hall, which had plenty on her plate to keep her busy. So, what were two more children who
needed her?
Grandmother
Hall was determined that no one would forget about her granddaughter or
grandson. Not on her watch. Her grandmother ensured that Eleanor’s education
was not lacking. At the early age of fifteen, Eleanor was sent to England and
attended the Allenwood School. Her teachers immediately noted the intellectual
mind behind the reserved demeanor.
Little did Eleanor know that God was laying
the foundation for her future husband and her life’s work. She would see Romans
8:28 materialize during her later years, “All things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NKJV)
She
would impart the experiences she learned throughout her life into practical wisdom
for future generations to gleam strength from her weekly column, My Day.
The
shy and often timid Eleanor at first wasn’t ready for the sudden boost to her
ego that this trip to England would bring. Her teachers persisted that she
utilize her intelligence and to ignore the criticism she may encounter. She
would later write in her weekly column, My Day, “You gain strength,
courage, and confidence by doing the thing which you think you cannot do.”
The
criticism she encountered in her youth had come from her mother. Suddenly,
Eleanor felt as if she had sprouted wings. Yes, wings of confidence in her new
image. These learned teachers thought her intelligent and encouraged her to new
heights. Eleanor wisely stored each new experience into her heart, often
humorous, as she would one day write in My Day, “You wouldn’t worry so
much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”
Her
family and friends soon learned she had a will and mind of her own. She was
determined to dedicate her time to the New York City Community. This was not
heard of. Society ladies contributed generously to the social functions for
such institutions but rarely visited the institutions. Not so with Elanor. She
joined the Junior League and Rivington Street Settlement House and volunteered
her time willingly. She later wrote in, My Day, “I can’t tell you how to
succeed, but I can tell you how to fail: Try to please everybody.”
Meanwhile,
Eleanor’s future husband, Franklin Roosevelt was the most eligible bachelor of
the Hyde Park Roosevelts, the scion of the time. Franklin’s mother was a Delano
of a French Huguenot family (originally de la Noye). They were quite the
socialites who happened to make their wealth in trading opium, and then they
married well into the Astor dynasty.
Franklin
was an individualist who would often take his leave from the dinners and
parties and sought the refuge of the ocean waves. He became an adept sailor and
boat handler. He desired to follow his dream and go to the Naval School at
Annapolis for a Navy career. Instead, he was sent to Groton and Harvard. Much
to his parents’ displeasure, he was not considered one of the popular men.
It was a chance encounter seeing a familiar face across a crowded room of gaily dipping and swirling taffeta skirts swirling about gracefully amidst the twinkling chandelier lite ballroom when Franklin caught a glimpse of Eleanor. Soon, he hoped to catch a glimpse of her again across the party tables of society or the ballrooms of flowing silk and taffeta gowns, amidst the tainted giggles and whispers of gossip. Eleanor would later write in her weekly column, My Day, “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
It
didn’t take Franklin long to notice that Eleanor was different from the other
girls he had known. She was witty, intelligent, and smart enough to outwit him
on occasion. She was equally enchanting in demeanor, and he enjoyed talking
openly with her, knowing her true character, so that he did not need to worry
that what he confided in her would go no further.
Franklin’s
mother was appalled to learn of her son’s plans to wed Eleanor. They met in
1902, and amid the brisk breeze in November of 1903, Franklin’s mind was made
up. His mother argued that they both were far too young to marry. She even made
her son promise to keep this engagement quiet for at least a year. Plotting to
get Franklin’s attention off Eleanor, she introduced her son to other girls in
hopes of swaying his feelings for Eleanor.
The
Roosevelts have persuaded their son in many of his passions, but Franklin was
not to be influenced when it came to choosing his bride. He would have no other
but his fifth cousin, Eleanor. In December’s chill of 1904, he announced his
engagement.
They were married in New York City on March 17, 1905, in the home of Eleanor’s grandmother on East 76th Street. It also so happened to be during St. Patrick’s Day. President Theodore Roosevelt gave his niece away, and sadly, most of the focus was on the President then on the totally in-love and happy couple. Their vows were said to the tune of ‘The Wearing of the Green’ and drowned in the sea of merriment as the parade filled the street below them. Eleanor was twenty-one, and Franklin was twenty-three. Eleanor couldn’t be happier. She would later write in My Day, “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
They
had to put off their planned honeymoon to Europe because Franklin was still in
school. So, after a week’s bliss spent in Hyde Park, the newlyweds set up
housekeeping in a New York City apartment.
Eleanor’s
preparation for the marriage bed was little to none. Alice, the president’s
daughter, read aloud the Old Testament to her and sought out the “begat’
passages with pointed clarity. Eleanor hardly knew what to expect. She would
later write in, My Day, “A woman is like a tea bag—you can’t tell how
strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
Check
out July’s blog for what happens next in Eleanor’s life.
Swept into Destiny: Ben (first book of the Destiny series). McConnell is a proud Irish immigrant who is determined not to give up despite hunger and deprivation. He clings to his mustard seed faith, believing that nothing is impossible.
Maggie
Gatlan is a rebel disguised as a Southern belle. Ben's and Maggie’s journeys
delve deeply into the truth about faith and devotion. “… Brakefield’s flowing descriptions pull you into Swept
into Destiny and keep you immersed in the world of the Antebellum South…This isn’t just a world of beaus, belles, and balls,
but of moral ambiguity and searches for truth…” L.H. Reader
Catherine is the award-winning author of Wilted Dandelions, Swept into Destiny, Destiny’s Whirlwind, Destiny of Heart, Waltz with Destiny, and Love's Final Sunrise. She has written two pictorial history books, The Lapeer Area and Eastern Lapeer, and short stories for Guideposts Books, CrossRiver Media Group, Revell Books, and Bethany House Publishers. Catherine and her husband of fifty-three years live on a ranch in Michigan and have two adult children, five grandchildren, four Arabian horses, two dogs, two cats, one bunny, and six chickens. See CatherineUlrichBrakefield.com for more information.
https://www.azquotes.com/author/12603-Eleanor_Roosevelt#google_vignette
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/franklin-and-eleanor-roosevelt%E2%80%99s-wedding
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