The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-30 00:00:00

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HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Dec. 29.
The Queen walked and drove in the grounds
to-day.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge is
expected to leave Gloucester House early in the ensuing
week, on a visit to the Earl and Countess of Derby, at
Knowsley, near Prescott, when a distinguished circle will
meet the royal duke.
His Serene Highness the Prince Frederick of
Schleswig-Holstein has left the St. George's Hotel.
His Excellency the Turkish Ambassador arrived
at the embassy, in Bryanston-squarer on Sunday evening
from visiting Madame Musurus and family at St. Leonards.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury's
party during the last few days at Hatfield House, Hers,
has included the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of Clan'
william, Lord John Hay, Sir Roderick Murchison, Sir
Hugh and Lady Cairns, the Right Hon. Benjamin end
Mrs. Disraeli, Maj ir Teesdale, Baron Marcchetti, Scc.
The Earl of Lonedale left Carlton House-terrace
last week for Ventnor, Isle of Wight, where the noble earl
will stay about a month.
The Earl and Countess of Yarborough are re-
ceiving a sucuession of visitors at Brocklesby, their seat in
Lincolnshire, during the Christmas season.
The Earl of Shannon has arrived in town from
Castle Marty, the family seat in Ireland.
Count \\Toronzow Daschkaw, Col. Makaroif, arid
M. Feder have left the Clarendon Hotel for Paris.
Lord and Laciy Egerton of 'rattan have been en'
tertaining company at Tatton Park, Cheshire.
Mr. Francis and Lady Eleanor Cavendish arrived
at the Hon. General Cavendish's residence, in Burlington-
gardens, yesterday, from Kimberley Park, Norfolk, the sea'
of Lord Wodehouse,
Mr. and Lady Evelyn Brudenel Bruce have left
Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley-square, for Woolston,Lambeurn,

Berks.
Mr. and Lady Fanny Howard have arrived at
Compton Hall, near Eastbourne, from Chatsworth, Derbr

shire.
We hear that Miss Gordon, only daughter of
Lady Francis Gordon, lies most dangerously
ill at FramptonCourt, Dorsetehire, the seat of Mr. Brinsley Sheridan.
The Right Hon. Thomas M. Gibson, M.P., is
staying with the Rev. J. G. Cullam, at his seat, Tiardwielc
House, near Bury St. Edmunds. Mrs. Gibson is Paosil3s
the winter at Nice.

VICTORIA COLLEGE FOR LADIES, BAYSWATER."'
The Christmas term at this college was brought to
a close on Tuesday evening, in a manner which Was ell'
dently as satisfactory to the fashionable and crowded assea,..-
blage of parents and friends as it must have been gratitYll'b
to the director of the institution, to see gathered around hi°
so many friends, willing to testify their approval of
1)15
assiduous efforts during the last four years to establish
til
college where the really useful and practical is blended wi
the ornamental part of a lady s education. The prograroal
ol°
of the eonversazione closing the term consisted of sever
well selected morceaux for the pianoforte, which were Plal
with both taste and brilliancy by several of the pupils. a%
which evidenced even in the case of three very juvela--
pianistes, that they had progressed most satisfactorily under
their professor, Mr. George Kiallmark, and the lady super:
intendent, Miss Snell. A scene from a German play 13,1'
enacted with great ability by the pupils of Dr. Fisclael,
in the case of a Miss Mossman especially, a remarkable
knowledge of the language was shown. A French Pie''
also, performed by the pupils of M. Be Bouge, a Ali°
Craufurd, in particularly evincing extraordinary facility hailer
use of the language, proved beyond doubt that skilful teaching
had been appreciated by willing and hard-working students.
Several readings from Willis, Montgomery, and LongfelloW
were then given by both senior and' very junior pupils, andd
the unanimous applause that followed them was at once
testimony to the great attention the director, Mr. 110111
Lesingham, professor of elocution, gives to this highly
portant but frequently much neglected branoh of education
and this was the more obvious when the company bad "a
opportunity of hearing, and we might add of seeing, in
the
Lesingham's own reading from the " Samson Agonistes
an exponent of what elocution should be. His reading Wes
everything those having an appreciative taste could hail)
wished it to be, and it was received in an enthusiastic
manner by all present. Mr. George Kiallmark played two
pieces in a most brilliant style, and one worthy of any of
our great players, and very reuch to the delight of all pre'
sent ; whilst Mrs. Helen Percy, a lady well-known in
Bayswater as a vocalist and teacher of singing, sang
two
songs in a manner which elicited marked and prolonged
applause. The evening's entertainment soon after this
ended by Mr. Sergeant Miller, the Recorder of Warwick,
distributing co several merit orious pupils certificates of merit,
which were executed in a very artistic manner. In per-
forming this pleasing task, the sergeant expressed, himself
as highly satisfied with the progress of the pupils and the
manner in which the college was progressing. The com-
pany then separated.
• EXETER-HALL.—MADAME LIND-GOLDSMIDTP'
This gifted lady and her accomplished husband/
Otto Goldsmidt, Esq., having placed their services at the
disposal of the committee of the Friends of the Clergy Cor•
poradon, it has been arranged to give a grand performenca
of Handel's magnificent oratorio of "The Messiah," at
Exeter-ball, on Tuesday, January 5, 1864, on which ace"
sion Madame Goldsmidt will be supported by the leading
ill
vocal talent of the day. Apart from the object for whe'
the performance has been arranged, the great and ever
existing wish to hear again the enchanting tones of " The
Lind" will ensure an audience of no ordinary character'
The ticket arrangements have, we believe, been confided t°
Mr. Mitchell, of Old Bond •street, so that the public a'''t
rest perfectly certain that, notwithstanding the
nary nature of the performance, no more tickets than,,,tl2:
hall will comfortably accommodate will be issited•
oratorio commences at eight o'clock. , be
A LARGE LONDON GRAVEYARD is likel f
made something pleasant to the sight by the P1°.,..t,15,;'d 031
trees and shrubs in it. Hardly any churchyard io °ea
offers greater facilities in this respect than the 011° eery
alluded to, namely, that of St. Luke's, Chelsea; it i$ ides,
large, not closed in by houses, has streets on three their
and is broad and wide enough to show large trees in a' -dial
extraor%"
bulk. A subscription has been opened to pay the ace We
expenses, and in a short time the thing will be done.
_oar
commend this example to parishes with churchyards
in anything but a pleasant and venerable condition. In
pendently of the sanitary advantages to accrue from lasted
planting of trees, it is worth considering that a tree, Pia
by the grave of some lost friend, may remain
of affection long after the most costly stone has Inenla
away. 1005
CHARING-CROSS RAILWAY.—It almost oP.
doubtful whether the long-expected opening °fdtio,),
important line will take place by Friday (New Year r nof
as was generally anticipated, the Government inspoe'°,,oat
having yet made his report to the Board of Trade, wilmbi.e.
whose formal certificate it cannot be opened to the 13",.; g.
In the meanwhile there is only some exterior finis' ost
work to be done, and the interval will be employed urging
properly, in drilling the company's staff into the wr_rla
of the lino and signals. The Customs department Plat.w,.oo
a testinieoruc4
at th station, to which the Customs bu.s.lll:
now caredci on at Folkestone will be transferred, is finished
and ready for opening. .c WO."'
TROTTING MATCH AT DONCASTER FOR
if 00
On Monday afternoon a trotting match came 0
tise
the Doncaster Racecourse, in the presence of an me
number of persons, between Rat Tail, the bay horsebyf,Alt;
Clayton, of Kirk Burton, near Wakefield, and
ral).oiagiborpe.
roan horse belonging to Mr. Field, of race Rat
Betting opened even, but towards the finishviLaL:
the starter
Tail had the call. Mr. Aice, of Doncasxterje
taking place in.
and judge. Rat Tail took the lead, the:
d it throughout,
the two-mile course, and inai:Zinngths. Digby broke
winning, after a good race, by
ot:e, and did not go past the
ciown_about fifty yards frota:oo
mbat at that point by 9.°t
the trot. The match was far
post, virtually giving up.t.
thie
in the Atheneum, in noticing' --
A REVIEWEIt
xtusroniangsirdoeu.nd and resurning
volume of Poetry," cruelly remarks los the
looks very much like a novelty in tl3°tit
the following
cleaning
week a small

lasestv,ean
Tightened in restless 'workings on the war/. ,„
Mut© the smooth, pure lips
ANoTialt COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—Between
ta'
and eight o'clock on the morning a
fearful explosiontookplace at the Gili
Coalpit, at Maesteg, the property of the Liynvi Vale Irea
Company, , -- when 13 or 14 persons lost their lives by fir':
shotuurrsdaoyf
"amp. The following is a list of the bodies already brougb'
up when our report left, namely : William Isaac,
"rpeuter,
left a wife and seven children ; William Elias, lately
ari;
ried; John Bevan, left a wife and three children; D'cvl
Williams (and son) a married man; David Rees, married;,
Morgan Thomas, single; William Davis, single ; BOP'
min Rees, single ; William Jones, single ; and David J 0066
single.—Cambria Daily Leader. once
IRISH CALCULATION.—An Irish lady vas ,
declaring that she could not understand how gentler ho
could smoke. "It certainly shortens their lives," said 5`.,.
" I didn't know that," said a gentleman. " Theres ;
father, who smokes every blessed day, and he is now, r
years old." " Well," was the reply, "if he had ide`'e
smoked ho might have been 80 by this time." OOP
A WOMAN'S RANSOM,—By F. W.
Rcbia-
10.
author of `j Grandmother's Aloney," &'c.3 C°,l
1
Mr. Robinson has already published several
Flic,c,ce:llo,l
novels, among which are " Grandmother's Money . r
"Under the Spell." "A Woman's Ransom" is l'ute„lrif
to any of its predecessors. It is a good novel, rem
clever, and thoroughly readable. The story is origii2Bl,
there is plenty of incident in it.