The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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WASHINGTON, Monday—I sat up until all hours last night reading the manuscript of a serial by Margaret Culkin Banning which is now running in one of our magazines. The story is called, "Too Young To Be Married" and there is much that is valuable in it for young people today.

She has caught so well the hurry and impatience of youth and its tendency not to think things through to the end. One of the charms of youth is that hopeful spirit which always seems to feel that some solution for every situation will be found around the corner. It is one of the great strengths of youth, for it gives it the courage to face difficulties and finally overcome them. But in certain situations it can be a great danger, for it may also lead youth to a point which it had not visualized at the start.

I held my press conference rather early this morning so that I could go to Mrs. Townsend's musical. Mr. Lauritz Melchior sang and Mr. Pierre Luboshutz and Miss Genia Nemenov gave a two-piano recital. It was a most beautiful concert.

One of my guests at the concert remarked that she found the selection of Bach which was played, most restful. I think I agree with her but somehow Bach does not fit into my everyday mood. I always feel as though he belonged to a life very different from the one we lead now, and therefore he leaves me rather dissatisfied.

An exhibition of weaving done by the blind in Italy was being held today at the Mayflower Hotel and at the end of the concert I went to see it. They make linen and beautiful silk materials. The blind in this country do lovely work also, but some of these designs and materials have added interest to their beauty because they have such interesting stories connected with them and are inspired by Italian works of art.

One bit of weaving was the copy of an altar cloth from which Fra Angelico, as a little boy, obtained his inspiration to draw better angels than he saw before him during his service at the altar. I don't wonder they gave him confidence to try his own hand at drawing angels, for they look to me more like little devils than angels.

When I returned to the White House I found that Mr. and Mrs. Carlin, with their four children, had done a tremendous amount of sightseeing. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Capitol, a climb to the top of the Washington Monument and down again, and an hour in the Corcoran Gallery was the morning's accomplishment. Now they are off again to see the Department of Justice.

I am glad the children look like such strong, healthy youngsters, for most people would be somewhat worn out by such a program. They certainly are attractive children and I shall hate to see them go home.

E.R.

(Copyright, 1938, by United Feature Syndicate, Inc.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, January 18, 1938

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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