The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-28
ANECDOTES OF H GLADsroNEs.
Family Exercises in Debating-How the
Children Were Reared.

Family Exercises in Debating-HOw the
Temple Bar.
John Gladstone liked that his children
should exersise their judgment by stating
the why and wherefore of every opinion
they offered, and a college friend of Will
Jams, who went on a visit to Fasque in
Kincardineshire during the summer of 1929,
furnishes amusing pictures of the family
customs i'll that house, where the children
and parents argued on everything" "Ihey
would debate as to whether the trout should
be boiled or broiled. whether the window
should be opened, and whether it was likely
to be fine or wet next day. 1t was always
perfectly good humored, but curious to a
stranger because of the evident care which
all disputants took to advance no PROPOSE
tons, even to the prospect of rain, rashly.
One day Thomas Gladstone knocked down a
wasp with his handkerchief, and was about
to crush it on the table when the father
started the question as to whether he had
the right to kill the insect; and this point
was discussed with as much seriousness as II
a human life had been at stake. When at
last it was adjudged that death was deserved
because it was a trespasser in the drawlug-
ROOM, a common enemy and danger there,
il was found that the insect had crawleu
from under the handkerchief, and was flying
away with a staggering sort OF buzz as II to
mock them ALL"
On another. occasion William Gladstone
! and his sister Mary disputed as to where o
certain picture ought to be hung. An cid
Scotch servant came in with a ladder and
stood irresolute while the argument pro-
crossed; but as Miss Mary would not yield,
William calamity ceased from speech,
though unconvinced, of course. The ser
want then hung up the picture where the
young lady ordered; but when he had done
this he crossed the room and a
nail into the opposite wall. He was asked
why he did this: "Awell, miss, that'll do to
hang the picture on when yell have come
roond to Master Wiilie's opeenion." The
family generally did come round to Will
liam's opinion, for the resources CT his
topgue-fencing were wonderful, and his
father, who admired a clever feint as much
as a straight thrust. never failed to encour-
age him by saying: "Hear, hear; well said,
well put, Willie!' if the young debater bore
himself well in an encounter.
Another thing which John Gladstone
taught his children was to accomplish to the
end whatever they might begin, and no mat
ter how insignificant the undertaking might
be. Assuming that the enterprise had
been commenced with a deliberate, thought
full purpose, it would obviously he weakness
to abandon it, whereas if it had been entered
upon without thought il would be useful to
carry it through as a lesson against acting
without reflection. The tenacity with which
William Gladstone adhered TO this principle
exercised no doubt a beneficial moral disci-
pline upon himself, but was frequently very
trying TO his companions. AT Fasque, !"
says his friend already quoted, 1--WE often had
archer practice, and the arrows that went
wide of the targets would get lost in the long
grass. Most of us would have liked TO collect
only the arrows that we could find without
trouble, and then begin shooting again; but
this was not Williams way. He would in
| s;et that oil fba KS sbou1d hn found hR-
fore we shot our second volleys. and would
marshal us in indian file and make us tramp
about in the grass till every culver had been
reflled. Once we were so long in hunting for
a particular arrow that dusk came on and
we had to %relinquish the search.
The next morning, as I was dressing. l saw
through my window William ranging the
field and prodding into every tuft of grass
with a stick. He had been busy in this way
for two hours, and at length he found the
arrow Just before breakfast. l remarked
that he had wasted a good deal of time.
''Yes, and no" he said. Il was certain the
arrow could be found if l looked for it in a
certain way, but it was the longest way, and
l failed several times from trying shorter
methods" ".Well lone. WILLIE c%oncurred
his always appreciative father.
1t was the same at Oxford. Gladstone
would start for a walk to some place eight
miles distant, and make up his mind to go
lat least more than half the way" Rain
might fall in torrents Ia serious matter in
those days, when no undergraduate ever
carried an unibrella), but this would not
shake him from his purpose; so long as he
had not passed his fourth mile-post nothing
would make him turn back. Directed toward
higher objects, this stubbornness could be
dignifed with the name of perseverance,
and it was a master quality that kept all
Gladstone's friends in subsection to him
more or less. Those who would not give in
to him from reason would do SO to avoid a
CONTESTANTS being a world in which there
are more earthen pots than iron ones, and
the earthen pots try to escape collisions
when they can.