The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-01-03
.MR, GLADSTONE AT HIS HOME
He Owes His Virility to the Regularity
Simplicity and Purity of His
Private Life.
he WAS 81 YEARS OLD DEC. 20.
The Great Solace of His Age is Reading,
and He is Passionately Fond of Old
and Rare Books.


William Ewart Gladstone was 81
years old on the 29th of December. "A
stranger observing him stridiDg along
Fall Mall on his way to the House of
Commons, head erect and chest expand
ed, or hear him laundering forth denun.
Clations Of Tory misgovernment from
his seat in parliament, would probably
set him down as a remarkably vigorous
Aexegenalian. MIR. Gladstone is, In
truth, the Youngest old man in the
world. His eyes are full and slngularly
bright, his face clean shaven and won
derfully intellectual, his lips tender and
tremulous like those of a high spirited
woman. He is tall, feet and 10
inches. and lean. He has no hair on his
face and little on his head. but his bald
ness is not very apparent when he
wears hat because there is a fair
growth of silvery grew locks around the
base Of his skull. Mr.. Gladstone owes
HIS UNIQUE vIRILrrY,
IN a great measure, to the regularity,
simplicity and purity Of his private life.
His time is about equally divided be-
tween London and Hawarden, his beau
tif estate in Flintshire. He has no town
mansion properly so called, but hires a
house each year for the parliamentary
session OF from six to seven months.
AT present he is the yearly tenant Of
house in St. James Square, Pail Mall,
where he has for nelghbors the Dukes
.nt Cleveland and Norfolk, the earl of
Derby. the marquis OF Bristol, Earl of
Oowper and otner great men. When
In town he usually rises at $3.50 O'Clock
Detestlng lazlness and abhorrjng SLOW
Anliness. he eschews dressing gowns
or lounge coats and always dresses for
the day as soon as he leaves his bed.
When his toilet is complete he goes to
church or if the weather is bad he
takes q book and reads until break
fast time.
Tee morning meal is Invariably
shared bv Mrs. Gladstone and visitors
IL there be any, which is rarely the case
In London. 1t is always Of a plain
character. usually consisting of fish,
bread and butter and tea. Mr.. Glad
stone is very fond OF fish Of all kinds,
and drinks enough tea in the course of
"a hours to satisfy halfa dozen old maids.
A ridiculous story was circulated re-
Gently to the eject that Mr.. Gladstone
is not allowed to read newspapers, sup
lied instead with carefully selected and
pleasing extracts compiled bv his son
Herbert. AS matter Of fact he is an
eager newspaper reader taking a keen
interest in the worlds doing and he fire..
aauently absorbs the contents Of three or
four journals in the course Of the half
hour customarily devoted to breakfast.
After breakfast Mr.. Gladstone invari-
ably proceeds to the library where he
disposes Of his immense amount OF cor
respondence, which. he once informed
friend, aggregates 20 900 letters year.
When IN office. he had the assistance of
is in opposition he does not employ a
paid assistant, but does the whole of
the work with the help Of his sou. No
arrears are permitted to accumulate.
each days work being disposed of as it
comes to hand. Having gone through
this ardous daily routine, the Grand
Old Man devotes the rest Of the morn
ing to the study Of Dante and Homer
or some others of his Latin and Greek
authors, making marginal notes as he
proceeds. This intellectual seciusion Is
revarently respected by the entire house
hold from Mrs. Gladstone down wards,
and is permitted to be disturbed only
upon occasions Of grave political cri-
sis, or upon business, public or prl
vate, of the most urgent Importance.
Mr.. Gladstone takes luncheon almost
invariably alone, eating only a small
1lice of beef or mutton and drinking
one glass of light claret. The after
noon is devoted to social or political du
ties but Mr.. Gladstone always fnds
time to take a long walk bv himself or
q drive with his wife, Or late years
when in London, Mr.. Gladstone has
generally dined out. He has so MANY
:personaland political friends that to en-
tertaln regularly at his own house
would involve an amount Of labor and
excitement. and d disturbance Of health
tnl routine which his physicians have
forbidden him to incur. Occasionally
lie visits the theatre or the opera. and
at midnight, but never before,
He takes his candle from the hall table
and lights himself to bed. He has hun
|sslf stated that he always leaves busi-