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

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HYDE PARK, Monday—It was a shock to read of Mr. Justice Cardozo's death. Somehow, I had taken it for granted that, having come through the winter, he was steadily improving. I am glad, however, that he reached the home of his dear friends, Judge and Mrs. Irving Lehman.

No one could look at Justice Cardozo's face and ever doubt that here was a man of fine sensibilities and rare spirit. I remember so well a dinner in Albany, when my aunt, Mrs. Douglas Robinson, was staying with us. I seated her next to the Justice, feeling sure that they would enjoy each other. They did, and thereafter exchanged books of poems. He once went to call on her in New York City, a rare honor accorded to but few people. He seemed a lonely person, but it was certainly from choice, for there were many, many people who would have been glad to spend any amount of time with him had he given them the opportunity.

I feel sure that he would rather have left this world than to have stayed on unable to work. His work always seemed the most important part of his life and without it I doubt if he would have wanted to linger on.

I shall go to the funeral in Port Chester, New York, with Secretary and Mrs. Morgenthau, and I shall not go feeling that I am carrying out an official obligation. Ever since I first knew Justice Cardozo in Albany, I have had not only a deep and abiding admiration for him as a Judge, but also a feeling of respect and affection for a man whose beautiful soul shone from his face. He deserves the homage of his fellow citizens.

Yesterday afternoon, my brother brought some friends up from New York City and my grandchildren came over to swim. We had a gay and decidedly noisy afternoon.

After everyone had gone and quiet and peace had settled down upon us again, and the evening light was making our little pond look vast and mysterious, I suddenly saw a blue heron fly out of the marsh. This is the first time I have seen him this year, but he is an old friend and I think this must be a regular stopping place for a part of each summer. I shall watch for him now as he stands on his long legs and looks for fish, and hope he pays us a lengthy visit.

The season seems to be particularly favorable to game. We have seen one deer in our back woods. When I was riding the other morning, one deer was silhouetted against the trees near a large open field and another one bounded by within ten yards of the horses, going to the shelter of the woods where both disappeared. The dogs were so surprised they did not give chase until both deer had gone. The rabbits are everywhere and you have to be careful as you drive through the woods not to run over them. I am afraid we will shortly have to have an open season or the gardens will suffer, but they certainly are cunning as they sit and look at you with apparently no suspicion of how dangerous human beings may be.

E.R.

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


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Geographic
  • Hyde Park (Dutchess County, N.Y., United States) [ index ]


About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, July 12, 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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