The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-10 00:00:00

DINNER TO MR. LONGFELLOW.

On Thursday evening a dinner was given to Professoi
Longfellow by Mr. Bierstadt, a distinguished American
artist, at the Langham Hotel, Portland-place. The
occasion was of a thoroughly international character, and
the attendance comprised some of the most distinguishes'
men on both sides of the Atlantic. The entertainment
itself was a brilliant one, and nothing was wanting to
render it a fitting homage to the poet whose works have
become household words in England as well as in America.

After the dinner, which was intended to be of a private
nature, there were loud calls for Mr. Gladstone, and the
right hon. gentleman ultimately responded to the urgent
demonstrations of the assembly.

Mr. GLADSTONE said he felt bound to say something in
consequence of the glorious past which the two countries
—England and the United States—possessed in common.
It became them to break through even the restrictions
which the authority of their respected host had imposed
upon them, and to give vent to those enthusiastic
feelings which one and all entertained on that
interesting occasion. It was impossible to sit at the
social board with a man of Mr. Longfellow's world-wide

fame without offering him some tribute of admiration.
Let them, therefore, simply but cordially assure him that
they were conscious of the great honour which they did
themselves in receiving this great poet amongst them.
There was no class of persons less able to do justice to an
event of that kind than those whose career destined
them to tread the toilsome and dusty road of politics
and who were, therefore, too little sensible of the
influences which were brought to bear upon mankind in
general by the priest of the muses. But at the same
time they were nJt so wholly dead to the sentiments

which were naturally awakened on an occasion of that
kind as not to be glad to render the tribute of hearty
admiration to one whom they must regard not only as a
poet, but as an American citizen. (Cheers.) They
rejoiced to recognise in Mr. Longfellow one of the distin-
guished brotherhood of letters whom they all delighted to
honour, and in whose writings they felt an especial interest
whenever any international event occurred to bring
together representatives of the literature of England and
the United States. The right hon. gentleman concluded
by calling upon the company to drink most heartily and
cordially to the health, happiness, and fame of Professor
Longfellow. (Loud and long•continued cheering.)
Mr. LONGFELLOW acknowledged the compliment with
great I.revity, begging the company to accept his hearty
thanks for the generous welcome which had been accorded
to him.
The Duke of ARGYLL, in response to a general can,
proposed the healths of Admiral Farragut, of the United
States navy, and Sir Hope Grant, of the British army.
After a brief acknowledgment from those gentlemen.
The Rev. Mr. Cox proposed the health of Mr. Bierstadf

who in one or two words acknowledged the compliment
and the company then dispersed.
In the course of the evening Mr. J. L. Hatton and Mr.
Chaplin 74enry supplied an appropriate musical entertain::
meat, td the latter gentleman sang Mr. Longfellow's,
Village Blacksmith."
Mrs. Bierstadt and several other ladies entered the room
before the close of the proceedings, and the former received
the congratulations of many of the guests.
A likeness of the distinguished poet was attached to the

bill of fare placed before the company, and a small o'

picture, painted by Mr. Bierstadt, was attached to the
menu especially prepared for Mr. Longfellow himself, the
subject of it being " The Departure of Hiawatha," ah'
described in the concluding lines of the poem.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.—A few days ago a packer,
named Lee, in the employ of the Somerset and Dorset
Railway Company, was seated on the embankment of tht
line near Edington, .apparently asleep. The driver of at
approaching passenger train, having perceived him, blew
his whistle, but could not arouse him. The train came on,
however, and Lee's head, which was over the rail, was com•
pletely severed from the body, which remained undisturbed
by the concussion.

PROPOSED RAILWAY BETWEEN SCOTLAND AND
IRELAND.—The Northern Whig says : " Two gentlemen—
L. Livingstone Macassey, C.E., and William Scott, C.E.
and Fellow of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts—have
just published a report on a proposed railway tunne?
between Scotland and Ireland. We cannot pronounce
any opinion as to the feasibility of the scheme, thong])
the two authors of this report, after having, as
they say, thoroughly investigated the matter, have no
doubt as to its practicability. As, however, the possibility
of making a tunnel from Dover to Calais has been seriously-
thought of, it is not altogether unnatural that there should
be a proposition to make a railway tunnel to join Scotland'
and Ireland, and save squeamish travellers the sickly
horrors of even the short sea passage."

Tnr, PRINCESS OF WALES.—The happy and
healthy course of the accouchement of her Royal High.
ness the Princess of Wales is a source of unalloyed satis-
faction. Her Royal Highness was driving out on Sunday,
and at 4.25 a.m. on Monday her new little princess came
into the world ; Dr. Arthur Farre and Dr. Sieveking being
in attendance. Happily, nothing either in the accouche•
ment or the convalescence has occurred to recall the un-
fortunate illness which marred the recovery of the royal
patient on the last occasion. Nor has it in any way in-
fluenced unfavourably the present event. Everything has
pas,;ed cif auspiciously, and the medical record is a pros-
perous blank. The little princess is a fine healthy and
thriving infant. In three days the daily bulletins will,
in the regular course, be discontinued--always a good
sign. —British llcdical Journal.

THREE WOMEN DROWNED.—AII accident of a
fatal character occurred about midway between the
parishes of Southey and Littleport on Wednesday morn-
ing about 7.30. A young woman named Edwards
was driving her sister and a friend, Nailer, to the
Littleport station. After passing a place called
Brand-creek about half a mile, the :road runs along the
side of the river, the Great Ouse. The stream is much
lower than the road, and the declivityis very steep. From
some unknown cause the animal, which was blind, went
on this declivity, and the pony and cart and the three
women were thrown into the river ; the Women were all
drowned. No one witnessed the accident, but a person
saw something in the river plunging, which proted to be
the pony, about twenty or thirty miuUtea after : klsae
dent is sulpoqed to han.httpmtl

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HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, July 9.

The Queen, accompanied by Prince and Princess
Louis of Hesse, Prince and Princess Christian, Prin-
cess Louise, Prince Leopold, and Princess Beatrice
arrived at Osborne last evening, at twenty minutes
past eight o'clock.

The Duke of Edinburgh landed from the Galatea
in the evening and dined with her Majesty.
ller Majesty, accompanied by Prince and Prin-
cess Louis of Hesse, Princess Louise, and Princess
Beatrice, walked in the grounds this morning.

HEALTH OF THE PRINCESS OF WALES.

(THIS DAY).

The following bulletin was issued this morn-

ug

" Marlborough House, July 10.
Her Royal highness and infant Princess are
going on perfectly well.
" ARTHUR. FARRE, M.D.
" EDWARD IL SIEVEKING, M.D."