Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-20
Gladstone a Charming Conversation.
AllAt.

/ al18x.
Mr. Gladstone plunges at once into his
| subject by taking pains to contradict the
| ''absurd story, long current among stupid
people with rampant prejudlces, that Mr..
| Gladstone is habitually 1ncivil to the Queen.
| Now it happens that Mr.. Gladstone is the
| most courteous of mankind. His courtesy
is one of his most engaging gifts, and it &C.
counts in no small degree for his power of
attracting the regard of young men and un-
distinguished people generally. To all such
he ia polite to the point of Difference, yet
| never condescending. His manners to all
| alike, young and old. rich and poor, ara the
ceremonious manners of the old school, and
his demeanor toward ladies is model of
chivalrous propristy. 1t would, therefore,
have been to the last degree improbable that
he should make an exception to his usual
habits in the case of lady who was also his
l sovereign" Indeed, our essayist says that
the story is so ridiculously wide Of the mark
that it deserves mention only because in it-
self false, it is founded on truth which IL
lustrates the subject of his inquiry.
The Duke of Wellington once declared
: that he had no small talk, and that Peel had
no manners. Mr.. Gladstone, according to
| the writer in the Review, has manners, but
no small talk The Grand Old Man sis so
consumed by zeal for subjects which interest
him that he leaves out of account the posi-
bility thas they may not interest other peo-
Il
dies, the compliment of assuming that they
| are on his own Intellectual level, engrossed
| in the subjects which engross him, and fur
| nished with at least as much Information as
| will enable them to follow and to understand
| him. Hence the genesis of the absurd sto-
| ry about his demeanor to the Qdeen. The
| astuie Lord BeaconsGeld, it appears, used to
engage Her Majesty in conversation about
water color drawing and the third cousin
ships of German princes. Mr.. Gladstone
harangues her about the policy of the Hit
, | tiks or the relations between the Athana-
sian creed and Homer. The Queen, per
| picked and uncomfortable, seeks to make S
: depression, addresses remark to o daughter
: | or offers biscuit to a begging terrier. MIR
= | Gladstone restraints himself with an effort
| waits till the princess has answered or tn,
n dog has sat down, and then promptly re
sumes-"As | was saying" Meanwhile
4 the flood has gathered force by delay, ant
when 1t bursts forth again 1t carries all be
, fors it.
ssNo image except that of torrent cal
convey the notion of Mr.. Giadstone's con
versation-its rapidity, its volume, its splssf
Q and dash, Its frequent beauty, its striking
10 effects, the amount of varied matter which
y it brings with it, the hopelessness OF tryinl
u to resist 1t, the unexpeotedness of Its on
t rush, the snbdued but fertilized condition O.
8 the subjected area which 1t leaves behind.
y And yet, 1t seems that for conversation
II strictly so called, Mr.. Gladstone has nj
J taste. che asks questions when he want
information. and answers them copiousl
when asked by others. But of give AM
,- take, of meeting you half way, and of pay
!, ing you back in your own conversations
t, coin, he has no notion" He discourses, lee
't lures, harapgues. If a subject is starte
10 which does not interest him 1t falls fai
D. His general appreciation of humor is no
% keen, although when he is amused hi
N amusement is intense and long sustained
or He has great capacity for generous indie
ae nation," and nothing is finer than to see tt
changing lights and shades his mobi
70 and expressive face when some "Tale of IL
10 jury calls forth the indignant spirit of tt
n North" We are told that "nothing funni'
ne can be imagined than the discontinue of
81 story teller who has fondly thought to tick
80 the great mans sense of humor by an sne'
o. dote which depends for its point upon son
ne trait of cynicism, baseness or sharp pra
80 tice. He finds his tale received in silenc
looks wonderingly mp for an explanation
st and fnds that whist intended to amui
g. has only disgusted. tDo you call that amt
az sings call it devilish," was the emphat
q. comment with which characteristic stol
as of Lord Beaconsfeld was once received
sn | his eminent rival.