3 Chapter 2 Daddy's Little Girl

Chapter 2 Daddy's Little Girl Eleanor's father called her "Little Nell." Her nickname came from one of her father's favorite books by Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop. Charles Dickens was a popular English author who lived in the 1800s and wrote many famous novels, such as A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield. Elliott Roosevelt was a great reader and loved to tell stories. Often, he entertained Eleanor by telling stories. Eleanor later said that her father always made her feel brave. She tried to do things that she knew would please her father. She loved to make her father smile.

Eleanor's mother, however, was a colder parent. She did not hug Eleanor or play with her. She called Eleanor "Granny" because Eleanor was such a quiet, serious little girl. Eleanor said that when she heard herself called Granny, she wanted to sink through the floor.

Eleanor looked so serious because she did not like to smile. She wanted to hide her buckteeth. When Eleanor was a child, dentists did not know how to straighten teeth with braces. So Eleanor rarely laughed because she thought people would think she was ugly.

Eleanor heard people talk about what a beauty her mother was. Reporters wrote about her mother in the society pages. No one told Eleanor that she was pretty. No one except her father. He reminded Eleanor that in Hans Christian Andersen's story, "The Ugly Duckling," the duckling turns into a beautiful swan. He said that would happen to Eleanor, too. Eleanor could not wait until she turned into a swan. Until then, Eleanor promised herself that she would be the best girl that she could be. And she tried.

Eleanor's mother often got headaches. Eleanor rubbed her forehead to make the headaches go away. It made Eleanor happy to be able to help her mother. Eleanor later wrote that these times together made her feel useful and wanted. Eleanor also had a baby brother. Elliott Roosevelt Jr. was born in the fall of 1889. She loved being the older sister. Her relatives told Eleanor that she was a sweet and good girl.

When Eleanor was almost six, she and her family sailed for Europe again. This time, Eleanor enjoyed the trip across the Atlantic. Her father promised nothing bad would happen. And it didn't!