Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-12-12
GIadstone,s Love for Reading.

When Mfr. Gladstone tires of
politics, he turns to literature, AMI
no man in the three kingdoms has a
wider range Of books 10 select from,
for, just at present, or rather since
the day that he reviewed Mrs.
HumDbTy Wards SRObeTt Els
mere,'' and gave that much dis
cussed book an impetus that II
would not have obtained otherwise,
authors, young and old, and pub
lishers, good and bad, have flooded
the Grand Old Man with literature
Of all kinds. 1t il hardly necessary
TO point out The value OF
the review that Mr.. GLADSTONE
gaze Mrs; Wards book, from a
commercial point 4 great many
people In England still insist that
it is vastly Over-rated book, and
that if il had not been for the atten-
ton which Mr.. Gladstone paid it,
it would have run its slow
length Of n few thousand copies, and
died as many better or worse books
do every twelvemOnth. Be that az
it may, It is sufficient for Mr.. Glad
stone to lend mis- name to any liter
airy publication 10 give il n promi
hence that il could not otherwise
obtain, and his library table Is
crowded with books on religion, on
state-craft, philosophy and romance,
sent by authors and publishers.
Mr.. Gladstone is, in every respect,
a great reader. He spends more
time now In reading hooks than he
did twenty-five years ago. Any
thing and everything that comes to
him is grist to his mill. He doesn't
mind wading through chapter after
chapter if lie only finds a kernel Of
truth or a nugget Of pure gold at
the end. He is particularly fond OF
books Of travel and politics; and
there Is no country that interests
him 50 much a. America, its peO-
pie and its politicians. 4 great
deal Of his reading ia done as a mat
ter Of duty, or, work, if you please
and after he has finished that ,
and is 50 thoroughly tired out that
most men would take to the woods |
OF to sick room, the great states
man turns 20 his Latin or Greek
for rest and repOse. II there is one
subject dear TO his heart, after polit-
les and statecraft, It Is religion. He
has no favOrite authors: he find
good in all schools, and he says in
deed il must lie n very poor writer
who can't find something TO say
that will interest even the busiest Of
men, and the most learned. He
has the faculty Of skimming through
a book and getting the salient points
in few hours.
To Americans it Will lie Of inter-
est to know that Mr.. Gladstone re-
ceives large number Of American
and magazines, and
that he Is well informed on all
current American topics. He keeps
several secretaries busy, and when
lie finds a striking point in book
or newspaper he turns down the
page or marks IL 10 be clipped by
his daughter. Miss Helen Gladstone,
or his wife, or one of his secretaries,
and, strange to say, he can turn to
II years afterwards ut a moments
notice. He has n wonderful menu
Dry, too, and knows n great deal
more Of American men Of letters
than most people would suppose.
He is an intense admirer Of James
Russell Lowell and Bret Harte. 1
He has a magnificent library Of
value, and j. constantly
adding 10 it. He is one Of the few
great men Of this world who j. not
ashamed to be seen alone on the
street, and he often spends an hour
DrssO in some old bookseller shop
On the Strand or in Cornhill. He Is
the owner Of many rare and valu-
able works, and whenever there i
an important book sale, either his
ION Herbert or one Of his secretaries
Is present to bid in any valuable or
rare volume that may be offered.
He has spent n fortune on his libra
~, and when annoyed by the carts
n political life, always find rest and
therc.-LHdiGs' Home
Journal.