The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-02
FAILING FROM OLD AGE.
Mr.. Gladstone at Eighty-Eight slowly
Passing Away.

NJ. H. Owen
For the first time in his life, the famous
leader of the Liberals has been showing
signs of weakness. In his long career of
sixty-five years of public life he has never
known one day of real illness, and would at
this time be premier of England were II not
for the distressing malady that affiicts his
eyes. He is dying of old age. His organs
are giving way altogether, and one Will
hardly wear out before the other. All will
go at once. Like house with quicksand
beneath it. he is gradually sinking, and his
measurement to-day shows him to be feet
. inches, just one inch shorter than he was
last December, when he stood erect and
strong. In his vigor he stood feet III
inches.
The career of this man has been as three
fold as it is possible for any one life to be.
His whole life has been divided into pc
RODS of three. He is a great believer in the
luck of three. and he purposely had three
steps constructed into his stone arbor for
the luck that three brings him. He reads
three books at one time, 10 give his mind
three channels of thought, and he inVaria-
bly, writes three letters before laying down
his pen. He reads only three hours at
time, and the only, variation in the rule is
in favor of seven, for he takes seven hours
of sleep day, and seven hours OF recrea-
ton.
Mr.. Gladstone. born at Liverpool, Deem
Der 49, lS09-son of a rich Lancashire mer-
chant, was an NJ. p. at "a. At the age of
% he married Miss GIynne heiress of Ha-
humored him in everything and made it a
family rule that he should never be con-
tradicted. As young girl she was type
Of the English woman-bg, amiable. ener-
getic, willing and saving. She was all that
any woman could be to n man, and Mr.
Gladstone was propped by her in every
enterprise.
In the morning Hawarden lay in death
like stiffness until the master of the house
awoke and ordered his breakfast, which he
did. and has continued to do. at O'Clock
Immediately the whole castle sprung into
life and activity. The children were brought
into the breakfast room for moment to
good their father. then
taken away to the school room, where moth
ing more was heard of them, unless at his
request. until late in the afternoon, when
II was his pleasure to play with them few
minutes before their nursery dinner
At breakfast Mr.. Gladstone read his mail,
church, accompanied by his wife. For sixty
years they have gone to church together
every morning in the year. Mr. Gladstone,
in writing about his good health, attributes
it largely TO the soothing effect of the
hour of prayer after breakfast: "In the
seclusion of Hawarden church, he writes,
Il can quiet my nerves and get in proper
frame of mind for the day" powerful
Sunday sermon.
After the return home he wrote his letters
until lunch, and after lunch sailed forth
for vigorous wood chopping.
This celebrated wood chopping habit is
Gladstone wrote to friend two years ago,
because find that it is the only occupa-
ton in the world that drives all thought
from my mind. When ] walk or ride or
play cricket, / am still debating important
business problems, but when | chop wood
f / can think of nothing but making the chips
Later in the afternoon Mr.. Gladstone
wrote, read and thought His wife man
aged the castle, attending to the duties of
the house and carrying out her well-known
motto-'If you want anything done well,
ranged and planned. She ordered the SER
wants. counseled the workmen and saved
the dollars. She told her daughter Helen
that she had never since her marriage
thrown away dollar that she could have
saved, and when asked about riches, once
said: Everybody gets money if they will
only keep it,"
The seven children that have been born to
Mrs. Gladstone are not clever. At least
they are not considered clever, but what
could you expect of sons whose greatness
is so overshadowed?
William grew up to be Lord of the Manor
of Hawarden; Stephen, the second son. was
rector of Hawarden church, Henry, after
service in India, was taught to be a cOun-
try gentleman. and Herbert, the youngest
son, was the only one encouraged to take
up public life. Two of the daughters are
married-little Dorothy Drew being the
daughter of one, and the third. Miss Helen
Gladstone, has long been an instructor in
an English college.
While humoring Mr.. Gladstone's personal
likes and dislikes, Mrs. Gladstone also ca
tered to his appetite. She furnished him
with great quantities of plain food at plain
hours, and she bought claret and rice when
English beef and omitted English plum
pudding, and in every way furnished a
diet conducive to long life. She ate it her.
self, and 1ourished on it, and there was
no healthier woman in Great Britain. Mrs.
Gladstone has never been sick, and she
herself says that her husband has never
been awake one night with her. The petty
aches and pains of other women were
scorned by Mrs. Gladstone, and one of the
greatest criticisms ever made against her
was her unfeelingness toward a sckly
daughter but the daughter got strong I'M
der the treatment
Once in getting out of a carriage Mr..
Gladstone accidentally slammed the door
upon his wifes finger, and she, with the
finger crushed and bleeding. walked by his
side into the House of Commons uncom-
plainingly, fearing that if he were to know
of her distress he might fail in the speech
that he was to make.