the French persist in their design; and | Madagascar is three hundred miles from eastern side there is the wide water of the south Pacific. English statesmen cannot forfeit an alliance essential to the good order of the world for such visionary dreams, nor even to protect the independence of a Malay race whose progress towards civilization they have watched with interest. They may regret, as we do, most heartily, that French statesmen should have fixed their eyes on Madagascar; but they can do no more, without endangering interests far more important than the right of Queen Ranavalona to be rid of the counsel of a French resident. There is something, after all, though we may not like it, in the French and Portuguese argument that they only conquer the half-civilized, because the British have already conquered all the savage races of the world. There is no more room for anybody, because of the British flag; and the less we needlessly obtrude that fact upon mankind, the better for our peace. ECONOMY. From The Queen. When, however, we are asked, as the Standard asks us, and as the missionary world in a week or two will be asking us, with one mouth, to prohibit the French enterprise, we must hesitate to answer in the affirmative. It hardly lies in our mouths to declare that the subjugation of the African Maoris is in itself an unendurable injury to the world. The Hovas are not in themselves a feeble people, but a strong one, and though their best "generals, Forest and Fever," will not help them against their new opponents, Sakalavas disciplined by French officers, they are sure to make such a fight of it as to obtain good terms. As to the feebleness or unfairness of the pretexts used by the French consuls, that does not rest on English conscience, we having, on the whole, behaved well in Madagascar, while the talk about our "interests" and Protestant hopes and Jesuit intrigues is talk merely. We cannot go to war to secure Protestant missions against Catholic rivalry, and the French will not persecute Protestants as such. Those who believe THERE is a German proverb to the that the republican government of France effect that every one has his own way of is going to conquer Madagascar for Jes- saving and spending money. As the stinuit benefit, have a faith which, if it can-giest person has sometimes a sudden fit not remove mountains, can at least remove facts out of the way; and as to our interests, our interest is not to give France a sense of being throttled by Great Britain in all directions. The English people are not going to annex Madagascar, and it is not their business to protect the Malagasy against an invasion which will possibly fail, and which, if it succeeds, is certainly no worse than the French conquest of Cambodia. We might as well be asked to intervene on behalf of the Tonquinese, or those tribes of the Congo for whose subjugation M. de Brazza is so anxiously pleading with Paris. As to the cry that the French in Madagascar will endanger our alternative route to India, we are sick of the argument. The French can "endanger our route" a great deal better from Marseilles; and we cannot defend the whole world, because at some future time, under some undefined circumstances, it may be more difficult for British ships to reach Calcutta. It would be easier to monopolize the ocean at once. of extravagance, so the most lavish man It combined with a thrifty, all but stingy, modern Jeames or Mary Jane would live care in some one petty item? An amus- in a family where the joints were weighed ing list might be made of the economies out, the faggots counted, and so many of the extravagant. Conveyance hire is inches of candle and no more allowed for the pet economy of some people; they the use of each domestic? A century will live well, dress well, but grudge every later the famous "Bess of Hardwicke " sixpence expended in locomotion. Per- was an equally careful housekeeper. sons of this class live in chronic warfare" Avoiding superfluities or waste of anywith cab-drivers, and are full of ingenious thing" is to be the rule of her establishcontrivances to save a few pence by walk- ment, as laid down in the household books ing to some particular railway station or that have come down to us; and it is cuomnibus-halting place. That they fre- rious, in perusing documents like these, quently spoil a new hat or dress by an to observe how careful our ancestors were expedition through the rain, rather than to look into every trifle of their domestic pay an additional shilling for a cab, is an expenditure. From that interesting recoverlooked consideration; their economi- ord of English_home life in the fifteenth cal hobby being carriage hire, not dress. century, the "Paston Letters," we learn Mrs. Gilpin, who, "though on pleasure that it was the custom, even in families she was bent, yet had a frugal mind," has of good social position, to make their many successors. Many persons embark daughters, as well as their sons, self-supon a costly tour, and embitter their whole porting whenever opportunity offered. journey by a refusal to add a few shillings The young ladies were admitted to the to the many pounds they are expending; houses of the nobility to be trained in all denying a pour boire here, and a porter's polite accomplishments, but appear to fee there, with little saving in expense have been expected to supplement the and great loss as to comfort. Their pet sum paid for their board by "making economy is to save these little additional themselves generally useful."* In a letcharges, and they must gratify their hob- ter dated 1469, Margaret Paston begs her by. Our ancestors were probably, on the son, Sir John Paston, to "purvey for your whole, far more economical than we are. sister that she may be with my Lady OxEconomy and thrift are greatly praised in ford or my Lady Bedford, or some other these days, but appear to have been more worshipful person." Agnes Paston (mothgenerally practised in bygone centuries. er-in-law of Margaret), writing in 1457, We read of the abundant hospitality of sends 26s. 8d. to Lady Pale, to pay for the great houses of past days; but refer- the board of her daughter Elizabeth, addence to books like those which record the ing a message to Elizabeth herself, “that household expenses of the Earl of North- she must use herself to work readily, as umberland or Countess of Hardwick in other gentlewomen do, and somewhat to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, show help herself therewith." Readers who how carefully every expense was regu- have patience to wade through the correlated by the noble heads of the family. spondence of this Paston family will find The Earl of Northumberland did not some curious instances of the thrifty arthink it beneath his dignity to lay down rangements of the period. Agnes Pasrules regarding the exact quantity of ton appears to have been a very notable meat, drink, and even of candles and fag-housekeeper. When her son Clement gots to be used by his servants, specify ing minutely the difference in diet to be observed at the tables of the various domestics, and descending to the smallest minutiæ of household arrangements, even to the number of clean tablecloths allowed to the upper servants. One clean cloth was to serve them for a month; but as the earl only possessed eight tablecloths for his own use, the servants' hall was probably still more scantily supplied, and the linen had to be used economically. The allowance of food per head is sufficient, though the dietary of the under servants is of a coarse quality, with little variety in its items -salt meat and black bread forming the usual menu; but what was under the care of a tutor in London, his mother kept an accurate list of his clothing; and when writing to request this gentleman to send her "faithful word in writing how Clement Paston doth his endeavor in learning," adds a string of directions regarding his wardrobe; how certain " gowns were to have new naps set upon them, and be otherwise altered and modernized. Her other letters abound with similar domestic details, as do those of her daughter-in-law Margaret. They do not, however, give a very pleasant picture of the family life of the period, un noble families, to complete their education in good manYoung gentlemen were in like fashion admitted to ners and the habits befitting their station. From Our Own Country. MR. GLADSTONE AT HOME. less the Pastons were exceptionally ill-1 in their bargain had not the unexpected tempered people. Elizabeth Clare (a arrival of succors from the Prince of Or cousin), writing to Sir John Paston in ange put the Spaniards to flight without 1454, gives a strange account of the ill further parley. The incident is an amustreatment his sister Elizabeth (then of a ing illustration of the hold economical marriageable age) received from her considerations may take on the mind; it mother Agnes. "She hath been for the is not every one who would think of so most part beaten once in the week or ingenious a plan for saving money when twice, and sometimes twice in the same treating with a ferocious enemy. day, and since Easter, her head broken in one or two places," writes Mrs. Clare; and goes on to beg Sir John to endeavor to arrange a marriage for his sister, and to release her from the tyranny of her parent. Margaret Paston does not appear to have agreed better with her daugh- HAWARDEN CASTLE, the seat of the ters. Writing in 1469 regarding the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, forms one boarding out of her daughter Margery, of the greatest attractions in the county the mother candidly acknowledges that of Flint, and doubtless will long continue she and the young lady."be either of us to draw a constant stream of visitors deweary of the other;" and her dismay at sirous of viewing a locality so intimately the proposed return home of her other connected with one of England's greatest daughter, Anne, is amusing to read. statesmen. The house is distant about "With me she (Anne) shall but lose her two miles both from the Queensferry Statime and move me, and put me to uneasi- tion on the Chester and Holyhead Railness." It is not surprising that one of way, and from the Broughton Station on the daughters married a man below her- the Chester and Mold Branch, but the self in rank, probably glad to take the greater number of tourists probably profirst opportunity of escaping from her ceed by road from Chester, which is a home. The "good old times" had their drive of just six and a half miles each. dark side in some matters. It would be way. The Castle stands in grounds of its easy to cite a long list of great people own, with a park outside, to which visremarkable for economical tendencies, itors are freely admitted. More than onefrom Cato, Queen Elizabeth, and the Duke third of the entire county is owned by of Marlborough, down to our own days. only thirteen proprietors, of whom the In many instances some of these individ- largest is Lord Hanmer, with seven thouuals exhibited a strange mixture of stin- sand three hundred and eighteen acres, giness and generosity, as Elwes, the no- while Mr. Gladstone is the next largest torious miser, more than once gave away with six thousand nine hundred and eight large sums in charity. Motley, in his acres, of which many are immediately "Dutch Republic,” tells a quaint story of round about his residence; and there are the economical views of the burghers of very few properties of similar extent which Antwerp in 1577, during their struggle comprise more agreeable and diversified with Spain. The patriots had taken the scenery charming vistas can be seen castle of Antwerp, but the greater part of amongst the oaks, limes, and elms, interthe city remained in the hands of the spersed with pleasant peeps of ivy-covered Spaniards. As the pay of the Spanish ruins and mossy walls. It is a matter of troops was much in arrears, it occurred notoriety that Mr. Gladstone delights in to the citizens that a monetary considera- wielding the axe, and in performing the tion might induce the enemy to come to rough manual labor of the common woodterms. The leading merchants of the man. He has here abundant materials. town agreed to furnish three hundred on which to exercise his skill, and if the thousand crowns if necessary; but pru- visitor arrives at a favorable moment he dently mindful of the fascinations of may perchance see a tree several feet in ready money, sallied out on the bridge diameter which has been felled by one of dividing the old town from the new, and the most intellectual men of the time, or held up purses of gold containing half view the prime minister of England, with this amount, to the view of the Spanish shirt-sleeves rolled up, engaged in lopping mercenaries. As the careful burghers timber or cutting firewood, for Mr. Gladexpected, the sight of the glittering treas- stone is in no way ashamed of his purure raised a mutiny in the Spanish ranks, suits, and has even had himself phoand they would doubtless bave succeeded | tographed stripped to the shirt whilst engaged at his work. His axes, which | ruins; and looking from this direction, are said to exceed thirty in number, many three windows will be noted at the end of of them costly presents from ardent ad- the ground floor of the modern structure. mirers, are, however, too sacred to be The two on the left belong to the library, exhibited, and are amongst the few things or "Mr. Gladstone's room," his study and at Hawarden which are not open to the sanctum. Should you be permitted to public gaze. The church at Hawarden is enter this which is, however, by no at the northern end of the village, and means the only room in the Castle in externally is a plain old building, with a which books are located you will find low tower and dwarf spire. As almost all it a room not twenty feet square, neither except the bare walls was destroyed by fire lofty nor imposing, crowded up with about a quarter of a century ago, the in- books, papers, and furniture, busts, china, terior is new, and it is trim and well kept, medallions, and other articles indicative as a church should be. The principal ap- of a man of culture and taste. There is proach to the churchyard leads through little room left for moving about; the everrather elegant iron gates, bearing over growing books, constantly encroaching on them the inscription, "Enter into His the limited space, are disposed irregularly gates with thanksgiving," and passes a on every side, and are mainly held back to venerable yew-tree close to the church back on what may be described as elonporch. On entering this the visitor has gated tallboys, an arrangement of which almost in front of him the reading-desk, Mr. Gladstone is said to be exceedingly at which Mr. Gladstone reads the lessons proud, but which is by no means peculiar whenever he has an opportunity, and on to this house, and is adopted by many lit his right the bare, uncushioned, family erary men as a convenient method of bench for in this church there are only storing many volumes in a small area. open benches, and none of those comfort- The nature of the books in this room in. able old family pews with curtains, where dicates a man of wide and various tastes a man of quiet turn of mind can take a rather than a bibliomaniac. The eye does nap. In a nook close to the chancel there not light upon masterpieces of binding, is a fine recumbent effigy in white marble or upon thin folios which are valuable of Sir Stephen Richard Glynne, Bart. more from their title-pages than for their (born September 22, 1807; died June 17, contents. The reception and dining 1874), through whom the Hawarden es- rooms of Hawarden occupy the side of tate came to its present possessors; but the house facing the garden, and just outthe other slabs and ornaments are paltry side them is the gravel walk, which is the and have no public interest. The living favorite walk of the great man when he of Hawarden is stated to be worth £4,000 can get no further abroad. The apartper annum, and it is held by the premier's ments, as a whole, are respectable rather son, the Rev. Stephen Gladstone, who than magnificent, and many retired grolives at the rectory, hard by the church cers have larger rooms and far more gates, a building which has a most repul- gorgeous furniture. Mrs. Gladstone, it is sive exterior, though it is said to be a well known, has been a valuable assistant comfortable house to live in, and is often to her husband throughout his life. She used by the rector's father as a residence has helped him in his work, and shared in in preference to his own larger and more his triumphs. One of the most interestpretentious house. This latter is a half-ing things to be seen at Hawarden in conmile away, well hidden amongst lofty nection with this lady is her Orphanage, a trees. There are several approaches to building which lies close to the house, in the park and house, of which the upper the stable-yard: and it is pleasant to see one, in the middle of the village, close to the well-cared-for children returning home the Glynne Arms, is the most imposing, with rosy cheeks from their rambles in the and the lower one the most picturesque. park, and to hear the walls echo with their There are two castles, the old and the laughter. Simplicity of life is seldom asnew. The former, now a venerable ivy-sociated with persons of great distinction, covered ruin, is a building of great antiquity, having a history extending back earlier than the Norman Conquest; and it looks down upon its modern castellated neighbor, with its formal parterres and neat surroundings. The best general view of the new castle is obtained from the slope leading downwards from the old and so it seems strange to have in one week the same individual shouting excited addresses at the hustings, or addressing a rapt audience in the House of Commons, and then laboring with the axe; or a lady standing on a balcony by the side of her victorious husband, thanking a gesticulating and noisy crowd, and then quietly |