Show costly bottle of Champa glue some years ago mr gladstone had i laet a possible claimant for a civil list pension whom he believed to be in suf poor circumstances and had almost decided to graat it when he received an invitation to dinner with the person in question this raised some doubt in his mind on the one hand should a civil list pensioner be able to afford to entertain on the other hand it might only be a dinner ot of herbs and I 1 it t s seemed hard to de deprive a public benefactor of a pension because he was ready to share his crust and water knowing that in any eme case there would be a feast of reason and a flow of soul mr gladstone accepted the invitation and on the way propounded to his companion the following text no champagne pension champagne no pe pension niton 11 there was champagne and the host boat lost his pension it was the dearest bottle of wine on an record tor for it cost the purchaser a year london news |