lunged
into political essay-writing, until in 1834 he further added to his
labors by entering the House of Commons as M.P. for Newark.

Mr. Gladstone's father was, as most people are aware, a Liverpool
merchant of Scotch descent. This gentleman was the architect of his
own fortunes, which arose in no slight degree out of his connection
with the United States. Having been sent to this country by a firm
largely interested in the corn trade, he discharged their business
to their entire satisfaction, whilst at the same time he made very
valuable business connections on his own account, which materially
served him when at a later period he himself embarked in business.
He made a large fortune, but it did not appear at his death to be so
great as it was, because he gave his younger sons the bulk of their
portions during his lifetime--to avoid legacy duty, people said.
To his eldest son he left considerable estates in Scotland--to the
younger sons, about one hundred thousand pounds apiece. The eldest,
Sir Thomas Gladstone, is a very worthy man, but nowise remarkable for
ability. He has one son, and has had six daughters. Four survive, and
all are unmarried.

The next brother, Robertson, an eccentric person whose indiscreet
speeches must often have made his statesman brother feel very hot,
continues the paternal business at Liverpool. The third, John Neilson,
was, socially speaking, the flower of the flock. He was a captain in
the navy, from which he had retired many years prior to his death in
1863, and a member of Parliament. By his wife, a singularly excellent
and charming woman, he had several children, who may be said to pretty
nearly monopolize the feminine charms of the Gladstone family. One
of these married the earl of Belmore, an Irish nobleman, who lately
returned from a not very successful gubernatorial career in New
South Wales. Both Sir Thomas and Captain Gladstone were decided
Conservatives.

William Ewart is the fourth brother. "That young brother of mine will
make a noise in the world some of these days," said Captain Gladstone
to a fellow-middy as his brother turned away from bidding him good-bye
just before he was about to start on a cruise; and the words were
certainly prophetic. Mr. Gladstone married when he was thirty. His
wife was one of the two sisters of Sir Stephen Glynne. The English
aristocracy contains a great many sets, and the Glynnes were in the
intellectual set, comprising such men as the duk