The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-27
THE GRAND OLD MAN.
His Manner When Speaking-How He Looks
and Acts-His individuality.


Margaret f. sullivan, in New York sun.
Mr.. Gladstone is not an austere man in ap-
pearance or In demeanor. On the contrary, the
CLEAN of humor may always be caught, furtive
but keen. in his fine old eyes; and around the
corners of his mouth plays that variable express
sion which perfectly intimates his moods--now
gay and almost boyish now serene and genial,
now engaged in suppressng too hilarious i'm
pulse abhorrent to the pervading dignity of the
place. now demure and sombre as if
| couded by passing regret or shad-
owed by apprehension of treachery, now
solemn, grim, resolute. now angry and ready for
fight. No mans face could mirror more truly
the deeps and shadows of his consciousness.
He has shown during all those trying days and
exhausting nights splendid lspirit, its tendency
uniformly upward, its temper singularly san
guine and courteous until within these days
when the intrigue of Mr. Chamberlain among
his own following was clearly splitting the radi
cal timber and although in the end Mr.. Cham
berlain will be wedged therein to do no good for
himself, the split in the timber has been felt in
the old Minister'S heart.
He has entered the House for several nights
past with effort toward blitheness His dress
has been faultless A frock coat of fine black
cloth discloses an ample front of linen expand
ing within a low cut. rather oldfashioned style
of vest. Brown trousers end in snuff colored
silk hose and neat low shoes. He takes his seat
in the middle Of the Treasury hrench with APP
parent self Inconsistencies and proceeds to fold
his arms, cross his legs and think with, appar-
emily, no more of attitude or
dience than a boy alone in school room.
His contemplation has the symptoms of dis
turbed sleep, for he is FESTIVE and troubled.
His mouth is drawn down and in until his lips
seem thin, irregular uncertain line. The face
is broad, noble all but majestic in lts firm liues
of vigorous old age The scanty fringe of scat
tered gray around chin and cheeks meets the
sparse silver locks upon his bald, great head. 1t
is great head physcally-massive, square,
broad, angled sharply at the cheek bones and
ears; a head which would be chosen by painter
for statesman's model but not for that of an
actor, or artisan, or merchant.
1t is such a head as a great thinker would have
| in any domain of pure study. 1t recalls no other
great head unless, around the mouth, Daniel
Websters, across the eyebrows, Beethoven's.
have seen him sit absorbed in mere contempla-
tion for half hour at time, moving no muscle
but the ends of his fingers of both hands, and
these move necessarily. When the thinking fit
is closed and an action resolved upon, he pro-
ceeds to it's effectuation with alertness He is
quick in all his movements A letter is handed
him. He tears the cover open rudely, adj
justs his glasses squares the manuscript.
sits upright with his legs crossed, and
wags one foot in steady rhythm while he reads
quickly down the page, turns to the next. and.
after following the lines to the end. reflects
moment, lays the sheet across his lap, reflects
again, twrls his fingers. reads the whole letter
to the end once more. and then, carefully folding
it. puts it on the table before him. With the
eagerness OF boy he takes folding portfolio
off the table, adjusts it upon his knees dips long
goosequill into the ink at the edge of the table,
and writes with rapidly eight or ten lines, then
pauses rejecting over some artful phrase to
tice to reproach, to conceal thought to tease,
or to entrap. The feather end of the quill is
meanwhile sometimes between his lips and
sometimes between his teeth. When the shap-
ing of some specific thought is thus labored upon
to completion, the pen runs over the paper again
speedily. and the finish is made with little
gesture of dissatisfaction, il, after all, the
task were trihe wearisome, but the effort not
without reward.
1t was said that Disraeli never descended to
the use of mucilage when be could avoid 1t. pre-
ferring aromatic sealing wax. which he pressed
with an Egyptian ring; or If the obnoxious gum
had to be used, he dipped his cambria handker-
chief into the tiny finger bowl OF eau de cologne
or water with rose leaves, and bathsd the stick
ing place with that Mr. Gladstone, it is neces-
sary to confess. runs the gummed edge of the
envelope across his tongue as IT he had relish
for 1T. and then runs the superscription across
the back, and dries it with blotter in the most
clerkly fashion. He never supplies autographs
| to colectors. His disincination is not due to
dislike of the pen or detestation of personal re-
quests, but to want of time.
A very interesting attitude ia his when he lis
| tens TO another speaking in the House of Com
mons, especially to one of his colleagues or sup
| porters had the good fortune to be present
| few nights since when Charles Russell addressed
| a crowded auditory on the late home-rule bill.
Charles Russell is undoubtedly the most grace
| full. plausible and adrot orator in the House.
| He has no verbiage. He has few metaphors
He never sins against style in gesture diction.
| Less pleasing than Daniel Dougherty. he is
more uniformly virle; less witty, he is more
satiric less unctuous, he is more merciless
They very much resemble each other
| in the mode OF speaking, bodily
and intellectually. They even suggest