Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-14
GLADSTONE AT HOME.
Sketches of the Home Life of the British
Prime MiniSteT-Tie Statesman Tire
Chonaer-TI,e YiilUae CLMrCL-1sr. G[nd-

Prime lfinisteT-The Statesman Ire
Chopper-G7,e Yii,0Je Churo7L-Er. Glad
ssome's Sanctuns-His Model Wife.
Hawarden castle, the seat of The Rt. Hon.
W. Z. Gladstone (says an English writer)
the county of Flint. The house is distant
about two miles from Queensberry station,
on the Chester and Holyhead railway, and
from the Broughton station on the Chester
and Mold branch, but the greater number
of tourists probably proceed by road from
Chester, which is drive OF just six and a
half miles each way. The castle stands in
grounds of its own, with a park outside,
to which visitors are freely admitted.
More than one-third of the entire county
is owned by only thirteen proprietors, of
whom the largest is Lord Hammer, with
1913 acres, while Mr.. Gladstone is the next
largest, with 6,9OS acres, of which many
are Immediately round about his residence;
and there are very few properties of SINH
lar extent which comprise more agreeable
and diversified scenery-charming vistas
can be seen among the oaks, lines and
elms, interspersed with pleasant peeps of
UNCOVERED ruins and messy walls. It is
a matter OF notoriety that MIR. Gladstone
DELIGHTS IN WELDING THE AXE
and in performing the rough manual labor
Of the common wOodman. He has here
abundant materials on which to exercise
his skill, and if the visitor arrives at a IA
vorbls moment, he may perchance see a tree,
several feet in diameter, which has been
fall al l,--n acff bo ;,,to mol
Of the time, or view the prime minister OF
England, with shirt sleeves rolled up, en-
gagged in chopping timber Or cutting fire.
wood, for Mr.. Gladstone is il no way
ashamed Of his pursuits, and has even had
while engaged at his work. His axes,
which are said to exceed thirty in number,
many OF them costly presents from ardent
admirers, are. however, too sacred to be
exhibited, and are among the few things at
Hawar0en which are not open TO the public
gaze.
THE CHURCH AT HAWARDET
is at tbs northern end of the village, and
externally is plain Old building, with a
low tower and dwarf spi re. AS almost al
except the bare walls was destroyed by fire
about quarter OF century ago, the in
terror is new, and it is trim and we'll kept,
as church should be. The principal ap-
proach to the churchyard leads through
rather elegant iron gates, bearing over
them the inscription, ENTER into His gates
with thanksgiving" and passes venerable
yew-tree close to the church porch. On en-
tering this, thu visitor has alnost,in front
CT him the reading desk at which Mr..
Gladstone reads the lessons whenever he
has an opportunity, and on his right the
aforementioned family bench-for in this
church there are only open benches, and
none of those comfortable old family pews
with curtains, where man of quiet turn
of mind can take nap. In a nook close
to the chancel there is fine recumbent
effgy in white marble of Sir Stephen Rich
ard Glynne, Bart, (born Sept. %, 1907;
died June II, 1919 through whom the
Hawarden estate came to its present pos
SCISSORS; but the other slabs and ornaments
are paltry, and have no public interest.
The living of Hawarden is stated to be
worth ga, 900 per annum and is held by the
premier's son,
TIE REV STEPHEN GLADSTONE,
who lives at the rectory, hard by the church
gates, building which has most repul-
sive exterior, though it is said to be a COM
Portable house to live in, and is often used
by the rector's father ..as a residence, in
preference to his own large and more pre-
tentious house. This latter is a half-1nile
away, well hidden amongst lofty trees.
There are several approaches to the park
and house, of which the upper one, in the
middle of the village, close to the Glynn
Arms, is the most imposing, and the lower
one the most picturesque. There are two
castles, the old and the new. The former,
now
VENERABLE Uncovered BUN
is building of great antiquity, having a
history extending back earlier than the Nor
man conquest; and it looks down upon its
modern castellated neighbor, with its for
NAL parterres and neat surroundings. The
best general view of the new castle is OBJ
tanned from the slope leading downward
from the old ruins; and looking from this
direction three windows will be noticed at
the end of the ground floor OF the modern
structure. The two on the left belong to
the library, or
''MR. aLADsToNE's ROOM"
his study and sanctuu. Should you be
permitted to enter this-which is, however,
by no means the only room in the castle
in which books are located-you will find a
room not twenty feet square, neither lofty
norimposing, crowded up with books, pa
pers and furniture, busts, china, medalli"ns,
| and other articles indicative of a man of
| culture and taste. In this there is little
| room left for moving about The ever
growing books, constantly encroaching
on the limited space, are disposed irreg-
ularly on every side, and are mainly held
back to back on what may be described as
elongated tallboys, an arrangement OF
which Mr.. Gladstone is said to be exceed
ingly proud, but which is by no means
| peculiar to this house and ia adopted BY
many literary men. as q convenient method
Of storing many volumes i'll small area
The nature of the books IL this room indi
Gates man of wide AID various taste:
rather than bibliomaniac. The eye does
not light upon masterpieces Of binding, o.
upon thin folios, which are valuable NOR.
for their title pages than their contents
The reception and dining-rooms of Haw
arden occupy the side of The house facins
the garden, and just outside of them il
the gravel walk, which i the favorite wall
of the great man yshen he eaa get 10 far