Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-10
Mr.. AND MRS. GLADSTONE.
T. p. O'Connor Writes About the On
Old Mans Family Life.


T. p. O'Connor writes thus to d Y
New York World Of Mr.. Gladstone
home life. Mr.. Gladstone is adored
his family and he adores them in 4
turn. One can see this in a thousao
facts. For instance, when you get
rising ground in the park you see {,
fine red brick house, this is the res
dence of w. ii. Gladstone, his eldes
son. Further on in the village is M
house of the rector of Hawardep
another son. / may mention that M
Gladstone apologized for the abseBs
of Mrs. Gladstone because a new Grand
son had just been born to them, Ia
rector's wife being the mother He.
bert, the Benjamin of the Household
and Mr.. and Mrs. Drue-his daughg
and son-in-law live with him.
But of all the comforts of his hom
life Mrs. Gladstone is the creates.
She arranges every detail of his exist
ence. saw an example of it Just
we were speaking. One Of the SCI.
wants brought in a note. 1t was from
Mrs. Gladstone; and | hope nobody
will blame me for having an eye SHARP
enough to see that even this littls
scrap of note began with the wod
Dearest
I'm to dine at Mr.. Williams to
night, said Mr. Gladstone to the ser
want, as though he had received bis
orders and was bound to obey.
The candle was lighted and we KEPT
talking on until at last it was $40
and very unwillingly had to rise and
leave him. He was glad, he said, Chat
had come, and he would have been
even more glad if could have spent
the night with him.
The small family party with which +
diued consisted of Mrs. Gladstone, Mr..
and Mrs. Drew and Herbert Gladstone
After dinner we all started for the
meeting; but | saw Mr.. Gladstone once
again before left | told Mrs
Gladstone that had heard that John
Bright'S health was much worse than
the public journals seemed to indicate,
Mrs. Gladstone had communicated the
news to Mr.. Gladstone, and it dis
turbed him greatly. He came into the
diuing-room to ask me some further
questions on the subject, md, though
he remained composed outwardly--for
eomposure is Mr.. Gladstone's chid
characteristic IN private life-he ap
peared anxious
On the way to the meeting | bad
some scattering bits of conversation
with Mrs. Gladstone. How beautiful
is the affection of wife for husband
when it is perfect, uniform, absolutely
absorbed, as in the case of Mrs Glad,
stone! She didn't want to talk on any
other subject than Mr. Gladstone, but
on that subject she was willing to talk
forever. One might almost imagine
that It was a young girl speaking q
the youth that had caught her hearts
first fancy. There was a strange
pathos about her whole conversation
the stranger and stronger because Of
Its innocent Inconsistencies.
She was very anxious about the
meetings at Bennington next week
which will certainly put great straia
upon Mr.. Gladstone. One meeting
especially, / think, should never have
been allowed. 1t is in Bingley Hall.
that holds some fabulous number Of
people-ten to twenty thousand.
81 hope, " said Mrs. Gladstone, "thai
the people will be satisfied with seeing
him, and that it will be explained that
he can't be heard by them all. | am
afraid OF the meeting because he has
and then she used an expression
which l think splendidly, though SIM
ply, describes Mr. Gladstone scharactG
because he has such a heart thai
he'll try TO make them all hear and
that viii strain his voice and prevent
his speaking in Parliament
What she meant bv his '.heart' she
further developed IN reply to question
put to her. | said that I had always
thought that Mr. Gladstone ought %
have been prime minister long before
ne was. STE gave as au explanahol
that he nad always thrown himself y
much nto any work he had under
taken, that le was always immelsediA
his own department. As an instance
shere1erred 10 the time when he was
vice president of the Board Of Trade
Hewas In despair when first appointed
~ The office by Sir Robert Peel 'of
Robert, he said, "thiuksI know some
thing about business becaue mt
father was a merchant, but really !.
Nno# uo more about it than a BABY.
bat he perseyered. and became
thoroughly master If ii. lie never
soaid ao anything bv halves and, pei-
maps. DE has often thus done efe@