New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-02
MR., GLADSTONE'S BOOKS.
HIS NEW LIBRARY HIS OMNIvOROUS READ
ING-HOw 1T is ACCOMPLISHED.

century Deen 10 MIN uelgHtlul tuipuli"o'"'""
Ten years ago, receiving visitor at llawardcn'
the piece of work he showed with the keenest de-
light was his arrangement p the book cases In his
library There HAD come q time when the spacious
room threatened to be literally filed with books, to
the exclusion of the owner The shelves all
round being closely packed. books overiowed on
TO the tables, the chairs the floors and the ad-
jacent rooms. Then happy thought struck the
perplexed owner, probably Renaissance OF
| continuance he had seen in public library lie
had at due intervals panks set up perpendiculary
at right angles to the original bookcase. Shelves
were fixed on either side Of the projection, ana
thus, with comparatively inconsiderable infringe
ment the area of the room, he more IMAM
doubled it's capacity to hold books.
This served for while but in the matter Of
books as occas onaly happens in politics, the How
Ing tide is with Mr. Gladstone. In few years
it swamped these new lagoons, and the old
trouble presented itself with the ancient per-
sistence Being at the time only verging OIL
eighty, and having before him the prospect of
innumerabe fresh acquisitions, Mr. Gladstone re-
solved upon the bold step of having storehouse
built for his treasures. Some people VINO 90 not read
books but have them handsomely bound ana dis
PLAYED as part Of the other furniture would In these
circumstances have added to the house wing, or
gothic architecture, for preference. Mr. Gladstone.
consitutonally of frugal mind, on whatever
pleasure bent, went into the open market and pur-
chased, on most favorable terms for cash, an UNI
lovely but commodious iron structure. Ihat he
obtained it through the medium of exchange ana
mart i. one Of those petty ISLANDERS with which
insicnifcance pursues the lofty minded. Inc iron
she'd being brought home, was placed in con-
venient contieuity TO the castle, and therein the
great statesman, who the other day overture"
a poweriul Ministry, has during the past two years
suent many happy hours arranging and cataloSulns
his books
II i prctty certain that for man with such
vast possessions in books he has read through
more of his stock than any contemporary proper
tionatcy endowed Every one knows moderately
busy men who have no time for reading MI
Gladstone has time for everything, including the
reading OF innumcrable books. Perhaps his Keen
est pleasure is in reading over again the oid oh's
But he is as we'll up in current literature OF 'he
day a. an idle young woman is in the latcSt ho.eS
circulated By Nude This habit is mlnls'eleu u
IL, writer's Of books who, mindful OF some kindly
indiscrcti0n, send early copies 10 sen.'Ni
who's. poteucy as an advertising agency is SUI
Gcient. rs was once the case with The Times 10
soil off q whole edition by written notice Thus
~ Robert Tlsmcren was doomed upon an, at ilrst,
horod nullic: and thus Robbery Under Arms
h.c,uc known TO the British public, concatcha-
,ion OF circumstances that illustrates the cathollc
itv Of taste the Premier brings to pear on Ills
literary studies. L.. o,Io
Sometimes Mr.. Gladstone Is induced by aolc
liz. 90 ro,,e,v \ ncw book at length in the
noces OF their magazines. Still ofiener an enter
prising author with more prospect vi Su'0e' '0
one OF the female SEX manages TO extract ''o"'
him a priceless advertisement in the form oil e'-
fer acknowledging receipt of a work ana sumo
remarks On the workmanship. Ihis Is 'rou""
20 which many eminent persons from 'he queen
downward are beset Mr. Lang mas puoHoN
complained that In TWO cases the Uioulauoh "o.
infrcducntly takes the form OF large oui"iV' -
mopuscript which his unknown correspondent ex-
meets him to read and return, postpaid with le"
folios Of criticism Mr Disraeli was, more espe-
collv in later years. bombarded with presenia-
,ion comics Of books, chiefly undesirable. lie had
, charming formula for the occasion Mr.. DIS
rocli he would write, in his own hand, II the
Ease dena n led the distinction but chiefly by tue
mooney Of the faithful squire who was suooe-
ou.ntlv made peer after the fashion as MI
| Robert Lowe eenislly remarked thai OaAsu"
made his horse a pro-consul-" MT Dlsr"ei P'e-
sen,s his compliments TO y. or NJ. etc, VIII iose
no time in perusing his interesting worn NJ
| clodstonc whose daily labor. whether in Office or
ont. exceeds Mr. Disracs tenfod, does not let MN
self of 50 cheapy. In nearly every case he READS
or nj least masters, the contents Of the book
| within twenty four hours Of It's arrival, ana
| .trai.htway sits down 10 write the lheVl'aoe
most card TO the trembling author or authoress
! Tho other day there came out another Life OF
Wordsworth,~ an early edition of which reached
Mr. Gladstone 1t was the high tide of political
crisis. bat he went through the book, and In the
cours of a letter to the author observed: Il be-
love in Wordsworth and knew him personally.
| IIc dined with me, rs bachelor. in the Albany
| ,c,I,. sixty wears ago, and | delighted III his
robl. ornearancc and lis beautiful and simple man
| ncrs | possess few Of his letters Everything
that lives increased knowledge of him l. likely 70
,urncnt the influence Of his poetry, and on this
| account | think and hope your work is benefit
"a thc mental health of the community
| L. is probable that there Is no passage in tho
| hook that called forth this letter more inter
cstng thnn this "reminiscences sixty years mem,
o,v rave back three score years crowded with
life at high pressure. Yet MI Gladstone recalls
This chance interview, his own bachelor state,
his rooms in the Albany. and the personal ap-
pearance and manliness of his guest Possibly
| he was induced TO write the letter by the fash
| of memory siruc,; by comirs in contact with
| Wordsworth's name. There remained the neces-
| sity Of saving something favorable 10 the book
| He apparently had not much TO say in the way
| of eulogy but n sentence must be written, and
| he spins one ont in the best Gladstonian man
| ncr. seeming TO say much, but amounting TO
| nothing more in plain English than the obscrva-
! ton that the more people read of Wordsworth
the more likely they to turn TO his poetry, the
| reading OF which il beneficial TO the mental
| health.
| That is not cxhilaratingly adulatory. but Mr.
| Gladstone and his goodnature found themselves in
q tighter place with respect TO novel inflicted
upon him by some one claiming the recommends
ton Of being a new writer" This reached him
on the very eve of tho general election. when
he might well have pleaded immunity from
| wanton incursion or his time. Mr.. Disracli's po
lite little note would have come in admirably
here But Mr.. Gladstone read the book. with
| hl, tho L.