The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-24
John BRLGHr,s ILL !Ess.
A Glimpse of the PGrliam entarian's
Private Life and Habits.
From the New York World

From the NeW York World
BR1oHToN, Eng, Jan. 1l.-Among the
many Londoners who have come down to
this beautiful watering place to escape the
hideous fog of London, is William Leatham
Bright, one Of john Bright's sons. "Willn
Bright, as he is universally known, is what
Irishmen would call the broth of a boy"
He seldom speaks in the house. or indeed
out of it: but he is nevertheless we'll known
and highly respected. He has little resemb-
lance, either mentally or physically, to his
ilustrilus father except tlat he has n keen
wit The wit, however, is of a less scorch-
ing character than that Of his father,
who in the days of his full strength
was naver witty without scorching
like sulphurlc actd. FOR instance; AT
more than one period of his political ca
reer he has been compelled to desst from
political work on account of threatened
softening of the brain. On one occasion O.
tory named Lord Lindsay was brutal as
well as indiscreet enough to say that this
disease was inflicted by Providence upon
| Mr. Bright as q punishment for his sins.
Bright duiatty retorted that softening of
the brain was not a punishment that could
be inflicted on his assallant; there were GER
tain things that it was beyond the power Of
even Omnipotence 10 do.
But Will Bright says things almost as
good His father has been much panied by
his sons adoption Of the heresy Of nome
rule and wrote VIII some rather stiff letters
upon the subject VIII replied by asking if
those were the KIND of letters that after all
should be exchanged between one statesman
and another You miss part Of the point
of the joke from The fact that you have not
seen win Bright-a big man with the face
and figure and dovil-may-care air of a
overgrOwn boy.
mention Bill Bright for the purpose of
giving your readers some particulars about
his great father, in wn.c Oh many of them
will Doubt IS be interested. AS you know
by cablegram, there has been a great
change for the better in his condition. The
disease of the lungs has greatly subsidized
The doctors, however, say nothing about
another or even more serious malady from
which he suffers, which is, curiously
enough, what is known a Bright's disease.
What has stood Bright in great
stead is his great tempe ance in eat
ing and drinking. 1t is years since
he has tasted any stimulant. The one
weakness he has is an inordinate passion for
smoking. When he is well he is rarely ever
without pipe or u cigar in his mouth. He
has been all his life a very lazy man. He
once said to Justin Mccarthy that his great
and yearning desire was passionate love
of doing nothing. He has never shown
any constructive ability or even industry.
1t is ssid-and | believe with truth-that
he never read n measure through in the
whole course Of his life, and on the two oc-
casions on which ne held Office he never
did anything, or attempted to.
OF late years his life has been rather
melancholy All his children have gone
out into the world to do for themselves.
They are, by the way, curiously divided
family. Two of his sons are unionists-
viii, as | have already written, is stanch
home ruler, All his daughters, | believe,
are home rulers So also is his brother,
Jacob Bright. For some time John Bright
has lived rather solitary life in his
house quite close to his mills, his
curious fact that throughout his
illness he has kept up his interest in the Par
nell movement. Every day he has had the
full and proliX report of the Parnell com
mission in the Times read out to him. He
is very softened, however, | hear, or at
least he was during certain stage of his
illness, as TO the Irish question, and never
spoke Of it at all, or if he did it was in
terms of unusual calmness. 1t is generally
thought that the real reason CT his an
tagonism to Ireland is personal. With all
his greatness there is some weakness in his
character, and a great sensitiveneSs to criti-
cism is one of these weak points During
the fierce heat of one of the scenes
in the great struggle between the
ment in 1882, some hard things were said of
Mr. Bright by more than one Irish member
in reply, it must be said, to equally hard
things from Mr. Bright-which the old
man has never forgotten or forgiven. This
is the curious difference between him and
Mr.. Gladstone. Equally hard things were
said of Gladstone, but he has the quick
Celtic temperament-quick to strike and
quick to forgive. There is not the least
trace in him Of any recollection of the hard
things he said himself or that were Said
against him during the fight Indeed, he
has that peculiar faculty of being able to
drink of the waters OF Lethe whenever the
circumstances have passed away that evoked
his anger.
During his illness Mr. Bright has been
perfectly calm and composed. He has not
spoken much if at all, of the life to come,
though he is known to be a firm and en-
tirely orthodox believer. Indeed, on this
point he is said to be little intolerant He
has never liked Mr.. Chamberlain much =,
and 1t is said that on one occasion he sum
med him up by saying that one couldn't
have any confidence in a man that had no
religion. Nor has Bright ever sought
spiritual consolation from any pc son. This,
however, is easily explained, because he is
a member Of the Society of Friends, and
they have no faith in what they term
sacerdotalism
THE GHOST WENT BY CABLE.