HENRY GLADSTONE
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SLR,—I saw a review in The Spectator a few weeks ago of the Life of Lord Gladstone of liawarden. by Ivor Thomas. I thereupon borrowed the book to read and now should like to call your attention to the following points. My father, Robert Stewart, was the head of the firm of Gladstone, Wyllie and Co., in Calcutta, when Henry Gladstone joined it, and I always heard him say that the reason for dismissing Henry Gladstone was that he did not consider hint a suitable assistant. I do not believe for one moment that it had anything whatever to do with Mr. Wyllie's eldest son, who was already in the firm and had been some time in India ; neither my father nor Mr. Wyllie would have dismissed Henry Gladstone to advance Mr. Wyllic's son ; such a proceeding would have been quite alien to their characters.
Gladstone, Wyllie and Co. were exceedingly prosperous at the time referred to ; it was many years afterwards—at the time of the Baring crash—that they lost money.
I trust you will publish this letter, as someone has already spoken to me ofwhat was quoted in your review, and you will understand that I feel jealous for the honour of the firm, in which my father was for 38 years, and my brother afterwards for 26 years. As Mr. Wyllie's sons and daughter are all dead I feel compelled to write, as it is always a pity to allow mis- taken statements to be uncorrected.—Yours faithfully,
HELEN C. STEWART.
7 Queen's Gale, SM. .7.
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