Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-23
GLADSTONE AND LoNGFKLLOw.

Recollecti0ns Of . Dinner with the Two
Grand Old Men
Il has been my good fortune to meet Mr.
William Ewart GlAdstone, n. p, ex-rsnier Of
England, popularity known - tie Grand Old
Man, on three different occasions 1t dinner,
writes Howard Paul in the London Caserr.
The first time enjoyed this distinction Vas
away back in the sixties, hard upon quarter Of
q century ago, when I wss q very young nm.
The host was Mr.. Albert Bierstadt, the distin-
guished American painter of NiAgan and the
glories of the Yosemite foresh Of the Pacific
side Of the United Statss, whose wWks are
equally admired on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mr.. Gladstone was invited by Mr.. Berstadt to
meet the late Henry Wsdsworth Lougfellow,
the poet, at dinner in private room Of the
Langham Hotel As an acquaintance Of the
great artist was among the invites and had
vored when / found myself dining not only in
the company Of an illustrious English states
man, but had a. neighbors the Duke of Argyll
Sir Henry Bulwer (then AMBASSADOR to Turkey,
home on leave), Admiral Farragut Of ths T. s.
navy. Sir James Anderson, commander Of the
Great Eastern; Sir Hope Grant and Dr.. Charles
Macksy, the writer Of countless popular songs,
who at that period was editor-in-chief Of the
Illustrated London Nscs II vss certainly q
distinguished dinner party, and o. o youngsteR
not long out Of my teens, I felt minnow among
Tritons.
Mr.. Gladstone had never before met Mr..
LongfeIlow, and. as he sat next to him at din
ner. they conversed incessantiy, and the author
Of "Evsngehne" enlightened the Engii.h states
man on many American matters that were fust
then to the fore. Mr.. Gladstone has never
been in the United States, but Mr.. LongfeIlow
paid frequent visits to Europe, and was there
fore fully equipped 70 discuss the politics Of
both ~ fho 10 ~ k-k
admirable command OF facts that he did not
permit his mind to rest exclusively On the sum-
NIT of Mount Helicon, and that there we're
other fountains flowing besides the tabled Hip
pocrene. He evidently kept other company be-
sides that Of the muses.. Although poets are
not concern themselves deeply with ordinary
everyday events I feel certain Mr.. Glsd-
stone found The American post . delightful
conversationalist. Their talk took q wide
range, and verify believe, I could have hard
all they said, they had . turn at the res
ian mysteries introduced at Athens, the sump-
tuary laws Of ancient Rome, with possibly few
deeting illusions to the Saxon heptarchy and
the conquest Of Africa by Belisarius. Il u thus
that great scholars leaxnedly converse when
they have the history of the world at the tins of
their fingers. 1t il said Of Mr.. Gladstone that
ct Q moments notice he could hold forth in
structively on the erection Of the Tower Of
Babel. with illustrations Of the confusion of
languages, and so through the Chronological
range Of centuries. with chances at Pelopon-
nesus, LAcedemon, Corinth and Babylon, with
Delphi and the Scythian invasion Of Asis Minor,
B. c. ga
Ths wonder went md sttn tn vcadsr Rrev,
How ons small head could carry an be fnew.
There was q prearranged understanding be-
tween the host aud Mr.. Longfellow that there
were to be no Get speeches ct this dinner
Every man present, with perhaps ons or two ex-
captions, bad made speeches Of ons kind and
another in his time, and. altar the fruits md
old port bad been discussed, Admiral Farngut
. bluff old sailor who bad seen much service,
warn with vine," a-ose aud protested that
they could not dream Ut parting without toast
or two So the chairmnnis health was drunk,
thsn Mr.. Longfsllov's, and, finally, Mr.. Glad
stone IVES indnced b get on his legs. He began
by assuring NE company that sster-dinner
speeches were not entirely in his line, but. -
this vas . special occasion, hs would depart
from his usual habit and ny . few vordA
These ''few. words" develOped into IN sloQuent
Grafton Of qnits nfteen nin.tss in leagh, In
which be reviewed the history q poetry from tbs
earliest timss to the psriod Of Lonsfsllov end
Tennyson, regrssting the abxanee q ths latter
bard from The scene Of festtvtty that w1s than
IN progress He bad evidently rod IL worhs
Of he American. for be quoted pasaes from
BY paying splendid tsibsts 10 III gtf6 aad
gsscss, hi neral sAasas - pest snA hi sonr
Prehensive knovisdge Of European literature.
He ssssrtsd that - pest q Ais tns ~ more
Wildly rod IN Enghnd than Loagfsll0w, snd
certainly nscs ness dncsssy spprssi.A,d M
subject Of this sapesb pansGyric vAs svidsntly
dsspiy touched, snd he rsphsd vithsst uAngin
. fay haPplly oAoasa pArssss, prsfAcsd VIII he
psnaxk 1T h hi eassths pen ~ ~ ninAaisr
than the tooGuA In . 4sv no0ss6' eoaSecan-
ton subsequently hAA vith Mr.. Leae3sllow b
assured NJ that d1KinG - uha1s e IL career
- did nn1 bslisvshs I'D ssw maAs . half-dssen
oGhand ex1smpoge speechaa.