The San Francisco call., 1898-05-22

garding Turkish misrule and it's hor- rible results in Bulgaria.
 A few months later I witnessed an- other equally suggestive and memor able illustration of Gladstone's remark able fascination as a speaker on smaller scale. The incident occurred within the precincts of the British Houses of Parliament, in the main cor ridor between the two houses, few paces from the lobby of the House of Commons MT. Gladstone had just passed out of the lol by, apparently on his way to the House of Lords, when he met another member of Parliament and stopped to speak to him. Strangers and members were passing and repass- ing.
 Suddenly, in less time than it takes to write it, l saw a group form around MT. Gladstone and his friend. Two passing one way stopped and almost simultaneously three passing the other way stopped also A crowd began to gather which a police officer hurried up to disperse. As they were dispersed l kept my eyes upon the first five who formed the group.
 One of them turning to me said: Who's that man?" Before l could answer another made a similar inquiry, pointing to MT. Gladstone.
 Within a few minutes I found that neither of the five strangers knew
 
 all brought to a halt when passing him in the corridor, attracted, half uncon- sciously. by the subtle fascination of his calm, pleasant, but earnest tone and manner of speech to his friend. Such was the man, the grand soul of him expressing itself even in small, ordi- nary casual talk with a neighbor
 I saw Disraeli once and Gladstone more than once under provocation. The Tory leader fumed, stammered, splut- tered with rage; Gladstone possessed his soul in calm dignity with resultant discontinue to his foes. On one such occasion q small Tory meI1ber sprung a sensation in the House of Commons by apparently quoting from the records of the House a former opinion of Glad stones widely at variance froS1 his later utterances.
 Gladstone quietly left his seat, went to the library, possessed himself or a volume and returned. The whole House was on the tiptoe of expectation. await ing Gladstone's reply. At a suitable opportunity he rose, opened the book, remarked upon the accuracy with which the records had been quoted and reread the whole passage referred to- The reading was hailed by the Tories with a furor of derisive applause. Gladstone stood calmly until order was restored and then quietly remarked, T find that the words I have read were uttered by MT. Whiteside"-an insig- nificant member whom no one would have thought of quoting-and then quietly resumed his seat.
 On another occasion young mem Der of Parliament, with political as- pirations, but who has since become and is now 8 member of the Salisbury Government. undertook to win favor with his party by batting and taunting the great Liberal leader. The incident
 F. 1Nr, ly described in words. The impudence of the young Tory suggested a cur barking and snapping at mastiff, and the question was. What would the mastiff do about it?
 Later during the evening Gladstone rose, his hands full of papers, to take a great and historic part in the debate of that time. For moment he stood hesitant, then glancing across at the Tory benches, he seemed seized by a sudden impulse, and laid his papers on the table. Then he directed a steady gaze across to that point on the Tory benches where his young friend of the gibing speech sat Cor rather lolled) back in his seat, his hands in his peck cts and his hat tilted forward and rest ing on the bridge of his nose. As Glad stones first sentence made it evident that he was about to pay his young friend the compliment of a little atten- ton, the Tory's hat was taken off. But the hands were returned to the pock- cts and an effort was made to main- tain the previous nonehalant demean- or. The great orator warmed to his task, and with calm politeness and dig nifty, treated his small antagonist, for once, as if he were somebody great For the space of ten minutes, in chaste, classic, but scathing English, the great Liberal made the adventurous young Tory regret his rashness. But before the episode was half through attention was directed from Gladstone to his