Gladstone fables are rather numer?
ous. A good many of them are demol?
ished in Mr. Morley's "Life." The world
used to hear that he never lost his pow?
er of sleeping after tbe most exciting
nights in parliament. But In bis diary
for 1852 he writes, "Nervous excite?
ment kept me wakeful after speaking
the first time la twenty years." Twen?
ty years later he bad several spells of
sleeplessness. He characteristically ex?
plains that it was not the lack of sleep
that troubled him. hut the consequent
state of his brain next morning. At
other times be was alllicted with neu?
ralgic attacks. His eyes, magnificent to
look at. were never very strong. The
"Life," however, supplies abundant
proof of his posse sa toa of a vital force
not to be measured by any physical
standard. He could conquer weakness
by indomitable will aud indulge In
feats of endurance which would have
been dangerous but for his splendid
powers of recuperation. When greatly
troubled he seems to have found the re?
lief be required in "talking it all over
with Catherine," bis devoted wife.
Sparrow* In Tnnls.
In Frame and, in fact, in most Eu?
ropean countries sparrows are com?
monly considered useful to tbe agricul?
turist on account of the quantities of
caterpillars and other Insects which
they destroy.
