The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 157, 4 July 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1874.

The outward mail via San Francisco closes this evening at 8 o'clock.

The steamer Taranaki left Onehunga yesterday afternoon and may be| expected here by to-night's tide.

P£blia__ent was opened yesterday afternoon. The Governor', speech will be found elsewhere.

THE OPERA.

A fine night, and the expectation of hearing and seeing Baife's masterpiece, The Bohemian Girl, fittingly rendered, combined to briny together even a larger audience than we ventured to anticipate. Tbe dress circles were over-crowded, aud the gallery filled tc overflowing. Those who came, came evidently in the best of humors, and determined to be pleased. At every opportunity their ready applause was forthcoming, and upon one occasion it seemed as if plaudits were to be bestowed upon nn active and industrious supernumerary. The enthusiasm of j.he audience re-acted, as it always does, upon the performers, who in this, which is understood to be their favorite piece, certainly did better than they, have ever done before. The choruses, and next to tbem the quartettes and trios, were, as on former nights, to our mind the most pleasing parts of the performance We will instance the heart-stirring chorus tbat re-appears more than once, "In the Gipsy's life you read;" the Seautiful little quartette "From tbe valleys and hills;" and the trio "Let not the soul over sorrows, grieve." Mies Alice May's rendering of the well-known song "I dreamt tbat 1 dwelt in marble halls " was exquisite; and tbe solo "Sir Knight and Lady listen," by tbat same singer, was listened to with delight. Mr Rainford was obviously suffering from a cold, which prevented him from doing full justice toa song so admirably suited to his voice as

° The heart bowM down." That exfleedingly trying air "When other Hp 8 "—-that stumbling block to so many ambitious tenore — was very fairly given by Mr Hallam, although in one part \i seemed to be a little beyond the compass of his voice. " When the fair land of Poland " was also given by him wilh great spirit and sweetness. Miss Laoibert, as the Gipsy Queen, gave an excellent illustration of what we meant "by recommending actors not to over Jo their pirts, but to trust more to the good sense and discern- j ment of the spectators. By a mem i tarn of the head or a glance of the eye this lady contrived to express more meaning than many performers would have done by the most extravagant gestures. Jealousy, anger, exultation, were all distinctly indicated by, apparently, the most simple means, and herein, we submit, lies the true art of the actor. The same remark will apply, though in a modified degree, to Mr Templeton, who gave the "part of that thievish human magpie, Devilshoof, to the. life. Th& by t play illustrating that worthy's uncontrollable propensity to filch everything he could lay hands op, was most amusing. He also took his part like a man in the trio, •« Through the world wilt thou fly." after last . night's expeiierc?, the ice being once broken, we have now no doubt that the final performance of this Company, Donizetti's Daughter of the Regiment, will be well attended, a result with which none will be better pleased than oureelves, for we can assure the members of the troop, that though a sense of what is due to the public may have caused us to write some unpalatable truths yet " with all