Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-09

favorite book, his host relates, wa" Da-
yid Copperield." Three years later
both Gladstone and Tennyson were
his guests on a longer cruise, which
extended round Scotland to kirkwall;
Norway and Copenhagen.
1t was most charming says Sir
Donald, ito see Gladstone and Tenny-
son together. When Tennyson would
read one of his poems to the great
statesman, discussing here and there
the various lines, Gladstone questions
ed the poet as to how he came to
use this and that form of phraseology
nothing eould be more instructive.
Sometimes they would talk about
Homer and the Greek poets and on
one occasion these two great men had
the most interesting discussion on
Shakespeare that | ever heard. AL
though Tennyson was not very early
riser, Immediately after breakfast he
used to return to his cabin to study
and write, for, as he told me he CON
sidered that was the best part of the
day for work. When Tennyson talked
twas just like one of his own poems
When he was viewing scenery = a
moonlight night, or a sunset. or lit
tie bit Of impressive landscape - he
would sit and look at it silently for
moment, as though drinking it in and
filling his soul. only the next moment
to tell it all to those whose privilege
it was to sit near him."
Has Tennyson's Pipe.
Sir oDnald's "reminiscences of this
sort make ones mouth water for more
OF them. By doing thoroughly every
thing he set his hand to, he has earn
ed we'll merited distinction, but if he
were only a Boswell by giving us a
record OF these rapturous monologues
Of the poet and the discussions be-
tween him and Gladstone he might
earn fame that would endure long aft
ed himself and his ships have been
forgotten.
IT was on this voyage al the Penn
brooke Castle that royalty paid it's
homage to genius, banquet being Civ
en- on board at Copenhagen at which
were present the king and queen of
Denmark, the then emperor and EN-.
press of Russia, the king and queen of
Greece and lesser royalties swelling
the number to twenty-nine. Gladstone
made speech and Tennyson read two
OF his poems and royalty expressed
great satisfaction with both perform
ances.
On this occasion Sir Donald obtain
ed one of his most cherished possess
sions - - one Of Tennyson's clay pipes
After the dinner Tennyson had retir-
ed to his cabin for a smoke, where Sir
Donald hunted him up, and conveyed
to him the request of the assembled
royalties that he would be SO kind and
obliging as to read to them some of
his poems. The poet was 10th to lay
aside his pipe, even for that, but by
Scotch persistency Sir Donald got him
to give it up and Tennyson instead Of
tossing it out of the cabin window as
he was accustomed to do with his
clays after a smoke gave it to Sir
Donald as a Keepsake.
when told Gladstone this" relates
Sir Donald, "he said, Keep it; it will
be precious some day
Rebuked by Queen Victoria.
When Gladstone returned to Eng
land he got wigging from his royal
mistress Queen Victoria, great stick
Ter for etiquette and all the peroga-
tives of her exalted station, as every
body knows, because he dared to put
foot on a foreign shore without hav-
ing first obtained her permission,
which as prime minister he ought to
have done. And as Mr.. Merely records
in his biography of the statesman he
had to make a most humble apology
to the queen for having ignored her
Sir Donald had OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Sir Donald has town residence at
No Hyde Park place and among his
art treasures there are more Turner's
than can be found in any other private
collection. His country residence is
Garth Castle, near Aberfedy, Scotland
and there he keeps his Tennyson pipe.
NIL