Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-14
GLADSTONE AT HOME.


W. E. Gladstone (says an English writer)
forms one of the greatest attractions in
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 a drive of just six and
half miles each way. The castle stands in
grounds of its own, with a park outside,
10 which visitors are freely admitted.
More than one-third of tho entire county
is owned by only thirteen proprietors, of
whom the largest is Lord Hammer, with
8,318 acres, while Mr.. Gladstone is the next
largest, with 6,908' 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
. matter of notoriety that Mr.. Gladstone
DELIGHTS IN WELDING TIE 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
vorble moment. he may perchance see tree,
several feet in diameter, which has been
felied by one of the most Intellectual men
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 in no way
ashamed of his pursuits, and has even had
himself photographed stripped to the shirt
while engaged at his work. His axes,
which ere 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
Rawarden which are not open to the public
gaze. \
THE CHURCH At EAWkEDEE
is at the northern end of the village, and
externally is a 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 a century ago, the in
terror is new, and it is trim and we'll kept.
as church should be. The principal APP
proach to the churcbyard 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-
teIing this, the visitor has almost i'm front
of him the reading desk at which Mr.
Gladstone reads the lessons whenever he
has an opportunity, and on his right the
bare, uncushioned family bench-for in this
church there are only open benches, and
none of those comfortable old family pews
with curtains, where Q man Of a quiet turn
Of mind can take q nap. In nook close
to the chancel there is fine recumbent
ef6gy in white marble Of Sir Stephen Rich
ard Glynne, Bart, (born Sept. "a, 1907;
died June II, 1879 through whom the
Hawarden estate eame TO its present pos
SCISSORS; but the other slabs and ornaments
are paltry. and have no public interest.
The living Of Havardsn is stated to be
worth "a 900 per annum and is held by the
prenier's son,
TIE AKv. sTHrRER GLADSTONE,
who lives at the rsctory, hard BY tho church
gates, building which has most repul-
sive exterior, though it is said to be COM
Portable house to live in, and is often used
by the rsetor's father AS q residence, in
preference to his own large and more pre-
tentious house. This latter 10 half-mile
away, we'll hidden aAoagst 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 IvY-oov1Rm BUN
is building of great antiquity, having q
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 now 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
"HR. GLADsrox1's BooM,"
his study and hanctun. Should you be
permitted to enter this-whioh is, however,
by no means tho only room in the castle
in which books are loestsd-you will find a
room not twenty feet square, neither lofty
nor imposing, crowded up with books, pa
psrs and furniture, busts, china, medallisns,
and other articles indicative of 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 il adopted by
many literary men, as . convenient method
Of storing many volumes in small area.
The nature Of the books in this room indi-
Gates man Of wide and various tastes
rather than bibliomaniac. The eye does
not light upon masterpieces Of binding, or
upon thin folios, which are valuable moro
for their title pages than their contents.
The reception and dining-rooms of Haw-
arden occupy the side Of the house facing
the garden, and just outside of them is
the gravel walk, which is the favorite walk
of the great man when he can get no far
Their abroad. The apartments, as whole,
are
1EsP1CTABLE RATHED rHAa MAGNIFICENT.
and manv ratired uronars h.va Ioroo- -cop,a