Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-05-25
HIS EARLY LIFE.
Excellent Home Influences and Good
Schooling.


Schooling.
The very early life of William Ewart
Gladstone did not differ materially from
that of any other English boy of that day
and station in the world. After Sir John,
William Gladstone's father, had become
firmly established in trade the family
took up its residence at Seaforth, and it
was there that William spent his boyhOOd.
His home life was such as to shape his
character in firm and desirable mold.
His father was a lowland Scotchman,
whose dominant characteristics were can
niness, unbending will, imperious spirit
and inexhaustible energy, each one of
which was inherited by the boy and sub
sequently displayed to a marked degree.
His mother came from the highland clan
of Donachie and from her the boy got
most of the deep religious spirit which he
afterward showed. Williams wits began
to be sharpened at tender age, for it is
related that the family was prone to argu-
ment, and participation was not denied to
even the youngest il the family. They
argued about everything whether the
window should remain open or be closed;
whether the day was likely to be wet or
fair; whether the trout should be fried or
boiled-and William was soon able to hold
his own on any point. Nevertheless the
boy was taught to listen attentively to
his elders, and he liked particularly to
hear the discussions of his father and
George Canning, noted member of Par
lament at that day, and who was a regu-
lar visitor at Seaforth. The extent to
which the early influence of the states
man may have served to lmpregnate
young Gladstones mind and inspire his
fancy for politics it is not possible to de-
termine, but subsequent events lead to
the belief that the association was very
IN
bear such great honors.
w. e. Gladstone's twelfth year found
him at Elton, tagging for his eldest
brother, subsequently Sir Thomas Glad
stone, and to a great friend of the latter
named Parr. 1t is said that William was
that ever went to Elton" He was
thorough scholar, God-fearing, conscien-
tious, pure-minded, courag eous and hui
name. He was never seen TO run, but
practiced that fast walking which be-
came so characteristic of him in after
years. He cared little for sports, except
that of sculling. at which he eXcelled.
He distinguished himself early in his
Elton career by turning down his glass
and refusing to drink to a coarse toast
proposed at an election dinner, and later
attracted general attention by a protest
against the torture of wretched pigs,
which were considered fair game for
SCHOOL boys Oh ASH w euueSudH. ne lOOh
a prominent part in the debating society,
and at the age of Is contributed to the
Elton Miscellany under the nom de
plume of Bartholomy Bauveire.
At the age of 10 he went up to Ok
ford and became a model undergraduate.
Ten years after he left it was said that
undergraduates drank less wine in the
'40s because Gladstone had been so alb
stemious in the '30s. II was in 1881
that he made his first great speech at the
Oxford union, of which he was the first
secretary and later president. 1t is no.
table that it was in denunciation of the
reform bill. The speech attracted the at
tention of Bishop Wadsworth, who de-
clared that some day Gladstone would be
premier of England, a prediction which
was fulfilled thirty-seVen years later. 1t
was about this time that Gladstone con-
cluded that mathematics was not his
forte and he wrote home saying he had
decided to concentrate his attention on
the classics. His fathers reply was that
he didn't think a man was a man unless
he knew mathematics. With due flial
gan to apply himself to the distasteful
theless he found time to excel at all
times in the classics, and great was his
strongest point. He finished at the
Michaelmas term of 1881 and came out
a double frSt-class honor man in 1881.
After graduation he was sent on the
then customary tour of the continent,
and on his return was ready to enter up
on his career in earnest