Mr. Gladstone's Postal Cards

A few years ago Mr. Gladstone vas spized with a roania for answering on postal cards all Communications addressed to him. His reply to requests for an opinión were so delightfully noncommittal, that the recipiënt of the postal was never any the wiser as to the great statesman's views. Por instance, Mr. Gladstone was once asked what he thought of the use of tobáceo. Forthwith on a postal came the fpllowing: "While some persons consider the use of tobáceo to be exceedingly injurious to themselves and offensive to others, not a few persons consider it an innocuous and delightful indulgence. What do you think about it?" These quasipalindromes from Gladstone's pen were &U much alike and created such fun that they were eagerly sought for. The old gentleman has for some time ceased this manner of correspondence, but the enterprising swindler in London, who has been nooflmg this country witn Gladstonian postáis, must have made a rich harvest. He netted $3 a pieee for them. It may have been that Mr. Gladstone's studied care not to exp. ■■ dn opinión was due to the fact that i:o ejcpected an imposition of this nature would arise. St. Augustine dul bed Cicero "a weigher and measurer of vvords." But give the wonderfu! sage jf Hawarden a postal and he can discount the great Roman orator ?t hi jwu game