Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-06-04

dows, is Mr. Gladstone's political desk.
1t looks now too neat, too tidy by far,
for the taste of any Gladstonean poll
tician; the blotting pad has an unused
air about it; the pen-wipers, racks.
knives and other appurtenances stand
about with a mathematical precision,
which means want of use, and there Is
neither note nor leaflet to be seen. The
political desk, at all events for the pres
ent, must be numbered among the UNI
employed. But turn to the third. the
literary writing table, in the niche by
the window, which is the most peaceful
corner in that place of peace. You may
there at any time during the day see
sight that will make your heart rejoice.
and that will linger in your mind while
pictures linger there at all.
The whole desk is covered with ref
erence books of all shapes and sizes.
They form wall round three sides and
there is only an opening in the front
Of the desk just wide enough to allow
Mr.. Gladstone to place the sheets OF
foolscap paper on which he writes.
There at this desk the &. o. m. sat lately
all day long, with very short intervals.
absorbed in Bishop Butler" the man
whom he gives a place among the best
of men that have ever lived. The num-
Der Of volumes required by Mr.. Glad
stone for reference is almost endless;
he has often to search through one
bulky tome after the other for some
chance paragraph that may help him to
elucidate dark place in the Analogy.
There he sits, absorbed in his work;
now writing rapidly and eagerly for
some minutes; now throwing down his
pen and dipping deep into one of the
books with which he has surrounded
himself. Sometimes specially favored
artist has been admitted to take Mr..
Gladstone's portrait, but 1t is on ex-
press condition that the sitter" shall
not in any way be distracted from his
work
Not once does Mr.. Gladstone's atten-
ton flag, though you may perchance
be sauntering about the room in COM
pany with a member of his family or
be privileged to have a chat with Mrs.
Gladstone, as, with loving pride in all
her husbands doings, she points out to
! you this, that or the other of the OBJ
jects in the library to which attaches a
special interest for him. Not that Mr..
Gladstone is altogether Indifferent to
violent Interruptions. In fact, he OBJ
jects to them strongly, and he does not
hesitate to say SO. But when it hap
pens that he himself has invited you to
come into my ROOM" he forgives you If
you appear while he is at work. and
works on, undisturbed by your pres
ence, or your voice, with an absOrp-
ton in his occupation which is nothing
short Of marvellous. Whatever the work
may be which he has In hand. 1t takes
hold of him SO entirely that he has to
be reused from 1t as most people are
aroused from sleep. Mr.. Gladstone does
not, as rule, care to talk OF his
idiosyncrasies, since he holds the sin
cere opinion that he Is very much like
the rest of the world. But he acknowl-
edges that his faculty of concentration
Is his special gift, the one by which he
is distinguished from other people.
Another reason why Mr.. Gladstone
gets through SO astounding an amount
of work is his extraordinary habit OF
using up odds and ends of time. One
day, not long ago, he was going for a
drive into Chester after luncheon. His
pudding was very hot, SO he went away
from the table. changed his clothes. got
ready for the drive, and came back and
finished his pudding, thus saving the
ten minutes during which his pudding
cooled.
From 10 a. m. to luncheon time Mr.
Gladstone spends regularly in the Ii.
brary, hard at work. But when the gong
sounds he puts down his pen, fol-
promptness in everything has become
second nature to him and he is prob.
ably in the dining-room before any one
else arrives. PETE alone, If that little
creature can arrange it 80. is as promp,
as his master for his two ruling pas
sions-loye for his master and love fol
his dinner-come into play at the SOUND
of the luncheon gong.
| A Hospital Experiment.