MR. GLADSTONE AND THE AXES.

Kumara Times, Issue 702, 28 December 1878, Page 2

MR. GLADSTONE AND THE AXES.

Mr Gladstone’s expressed conviction that England’s ‘ commercial primacy ” will be wrested from her by America “ at a coming time ” is traceable by the acute observer to a comparatively trivial occurrence. One day as, with his shirt sleeves quivering in the breeze, the ex-premier stood and struck at a tree of weight and influence,' it was noticed by the bystanders that the tree was getting the best of. it. A servant brought from the adjacent “castle” various other axes. The right hon. member for Greenwich tried each in turn, but found that all, alike were wanting. A stranger going up to the tree remarked that he “rather guessed” it was a Vegetable of American growth, and drew an axe-head from his pocket, and, producing an axe-handle from his sleeve, proceeded to fit thorn together in a calm and business-like manner. : Handing the completed instrument to Mr Gladstone, the American “ kinder calculated” that it would “fetch” the tree down in no time. Seizing the American axe—for an American axe it was—the ex-premier raised it, and, straining his shirt-sleeves to their ut». most extent, made a cut at the tree* The steel sank deeply into the wood, and after about a dozen similar strokes the tree was successfully disestablished. As the huge trunk lay along upon the ground, and Mr Gladstone leaned , meditatively against it, the Yankee again approached and begged the right hon. gentleman’s acceptance of the axe, which, he ventured to think, had so triumphantly demonstrated ‘ the superiority of American productions over articles of mere British manufacture.— Morning Advertiser.