The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-04-28
THE GRAND Old NAN.
Interesting Facts About CladStOne'S 5
Private Life,
He IS A TREMENDOUS WORKER,
PROGRAMME OF HIS DAYS AND INCL
DENTS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VET
ERAN'S STALWART PERSONAL---VERY.
is A VoRACIoUs READER.
For the Richmond Dispatch.

Gladstone has been favorite subject
with the writer's of newspaper and mag
azine articles, and an immense amount
of trouble has been taken to make the
reading public familiar with the habits
and characteristics of England's Grand
Old Man. 1t is not possible, however,
to exhaust the subject when SO interest
ing personality as Gladstone's is in
question, and 50 much remains to be
told. Here for the first time are related
many features of the personality Of the
old man that have so far escaped the
searching attention of the literary fra
ternlty, and which have been close to
the veteran statesman's side during the
declining years of his famous life.
HIS DOMESTIC HABITS.
When the wear and tear Of public
life became too much fo- Gladstone,
and he was forced to retire to the
quletude of Hawarden Castle, 1t was
not to be expected that active life would
be changed at once for one of complete
rest. Gladstone resting" was an ex-
ample to many men who would feel
much offended if considered other than
industrious.
Gladstone's hour for rising has al
ways been half past seven, unless the
doctor otherwise ordered, and in that
event the Grand Old Man considered
the edict OF his physician that he must
pass more time IN bed, in the light Of
hardship. He dressed, according to
the assertion of Mrs. Gladstone, IN five
minutes, but this time was probably a
statepent prompted by the fact that
Mrs. Gladstone always found her hus-
band ahead of her at the breakfast table,
no matter how much she hurried the
arrangements of her own toilet.
While dressing it was the habit O!
Mr.. Gladstone to read book, and it
is characteristic of the man that he
thoroughly enjoyed the book perused
under these odd circumstances. He
would prop the volume up on the
dressing table, and, while apparently
engaged IN his toilet, would be me-
chanically fixing his apparel with his
ewes on the book instead of the mirror,
| and his busy mind grasping the de-
tails of both tasks in a manner that no
other man could successfully accom-
pllsh.
GLADSTONE AND HIS LITTLE AXE.
After breakfast, Mr.. Gladstone has
been accustomed to revel in what tc
him was keen enjoyment-his literary
work. He did most of his writing be-
tween breakfast and luncheon. Alter
luncheon, during the period when ne
| was the hale old man that artists loved
to depict clad in wocdman's dress, he
would sally forth, axe In hand, to Gu
down some giant of the Hawarden cas-
tie forest. that had threatened to tres
pass upon the light and air OF trees
that were worthy of more space. Ihl
trespasser he would attack with vlgor
GUS blows, and then there would gathe
} around him the visitors who were al
ways haunting the vicinity OF Hawal
| den in hopes OF being present at JUS
such an expedition.
The ambition of the visitors was t.
secure some of the chips that flew be
fore the axe of the distinguished woods
: man. AS soon as Gladstone had re
tired, after the fall OF the tree, ther
would be a rush of relic hunters, an
the chips would be- eagerly gathere
ND as mementos of the occasion. Thes
chips we're always marketable rellc
! It is sad to reflect that so many home
in Merry England are adorned wit
: sections of tree trunks, ticketed with
y legend to the effect that they fell e
II tore ClG axe u w nIlduA C"oAo oN~~>
stone, that never grew In the green TO
ests of Hawarden, or forest within
e hundred miles of that picturesque spo
q Apart from his beloved axe, Gla
a stone had few fancies that were not
the most commonplace order. He 10
:. ed backgammon. In the opinion
:. the old man there was no game
1t equal it, and it was one of the Chi
e delights of his life to play quiet gan
10 IN the retirement of his own rool
Il when reading had become too great
strain for eyes that were last fallln
VERY PIoUs MAN.
There haye bean few more plous m
in the world than Gladstone. VIII
asked what was the most interestf
study he had eyer undertaken, he
N swered unhesltatingly: "Theology
'le His deep piety is shown by the foilo
:. ing from his own pen regarding t
lobeervance Of the Sabbath