Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-23

in displaying their ingenuity in inven-
lions have left us far behind. .
Respecting the probabilities of his az
cession again to power. Mr.. Gladstone
remarked that though the result of the
by-elections was of such a character as
to make him most sanguine of the speedy
return of his party to power, his hope of
such a consummation was not based
solely upon that fact, but as well upon the
assured conviction that the tide of pub
he opinion was surely turning in their
favor.
Mr.. Gladstone lives a very regular life
at his home. He breakfasts lightly about
Z O'Clock. and shortly before 8 walks TO the
church for prayers. To the intelligent OBJ
server the sight of the great statesman
walking to the church at this early hour in
the morning can not fail to be interesting.
Clad IN long coat, tightly buttoned, with
long shawl wrapped closely around his
neck, and wearing soft felt hat, his APP
pearance is decidedly picturesque. Upon
his return to the castle from morning
prayers, he retires to his study, where he
reads and answers, with the aid of his
secretary, his enormous mass of daily cor
respondence.
There is no regular hour for luncheon at
the castle and it is partaken of by those at
home at various times. In the afternoon
Mr.. Gladstone takes a walk In the grounds,
ana II the weather Is propitouS usually
engages IN his fav0rite exercise of tree
ehopplng. He dimes at s o'clock. after
wards reads or writes, and at 10 retires for
tie night. Though abstemious in his
habits, he usually drinks bitter beer with
his lunch and glass or two of claret or
port at dinner Mr. Gladstone is not IN
any sense aesthetic, is a generous liver, and
Is great believer in the virtues of a glass
of good port wine. When engaged In
speaking his flip is compound of sherry
and egg, which is prepared by Mrs Glad
stone with as much anxiety and care as if
it were the elixir of life. Mr.. Gladstone
never smoked. He acquired his habits at
a period when tobacco smoking was gener-
ally regarded as somewhat vulgar among
the better classes
Mr.. Gladstone usually has three books IN
reading at the same time, and changes
from one to another as his mind reaches
the limit of absorption, or when ne fancies
that the volume in hand has interested him
just enough not to be the sole object of
thought. | fancy that this mode of read
ing Is intended to be corrective of a natural
disposition OF his mind to devote attention
to some particular subject to the exclusion
OF everything else.
In Mr.. Gladstone's study besides his
books, which are seen everywhere, there
are three writing desks in the room, one
chiefly reserved for political correspond
ence, and another used by Mrs. Gladstone.
The library at Hawarden Castle contains
more than 10000 volumes, which are freely
loaned to almost any person in the neigh
borhood who wishes to read them. At one
time this liberty was unlimited, but the
privilege was too much abused by some
persons that a few years ago a rule was
laid down limiting the time for which
book might be kept to one month. With
this exception, however, Mr. Gladstone's
library is still the free-loan library of the
whole countryside.
NEIL MCDONALD.