I _think_ I shall customers find for our 'Blend.'"
While ho! ho! ho! he'll chuckle and crow;
"What, turn up Brum JOE, my boys? No! no! no!"

* * * * *

OPERATIC NOTES.

_Monday, May 4_.--ZÉLIE DE LUSSAN's _Carmen_ is about the best when
all the other dear charmers are away, and in the character she will
probably remain in possession of the field, or, rather, "the Garden,"
till the end of the season. The remainder as before, with DEVOYOD
as _Escamillo_. But what has become of the "go" in the _Toréador's_
great song? Where are the double _encores_? Where, indeed, the hearty
applause? Surely it has gone the way of the March in _Faust_, once
so enthusiastically received and cheered to the echo; and now--"March
off!" It is true that, once let a "tuney tune" become vulgarised by
street-musicians, and organic disease would be sufficient to kill it
were it not tortured and ground to death by remorseless hands. But
the _Toréador's_ song and the March have not been the victims of an
organised opposition. Perhaps, though, they may have been, only 'tis
so long ago as not to be within the ken of the present deponent.
Anyhow, the _Toréador's_ song goes for nothing nowadays, and yet 'tis
as good as ever.

[Illustration]

_Thursday_.--We welcomed _The Don_. Not the Academic Don once so
popularly represented by Mr. J.L. TOOLE, but MOZART's Italianised
Spanish Don. _À propos_ of Mr. TOOLE, it has always been the wonder of