DEAR MR. PUNCH,--The other evening, wishing to enjoy a little music, I went to the Lyric Theatre, and found that the opera chosen for performance was called _Sweet Nancy_, founded upon a novel with some similar title by Miss RHODA BROUGHTON. The prettiest tune I heard was one that I fancy had been played before, and my belief is the stronger as Mr. HENRY NEVILLE referred to it as "a dear old song." It had to do with "_Darby and Joan_," and reminded me of J.L. MOLLOY'S delightful song with that title. The rest of the music was not very striking. Even to those who hold that the plot of an Opera is only of secondary importance, _Sweet Nancy_ could not have appeared to be exactly teeming with incidents. However, it was very nicely played by Miss HUGHES, and that now mature Lancashire Lad, the aforesaid HENRY NEVILLE. Without declaring that I should like to see it every evening for a thousand years (which I believe is a _façon de parler_ even in China), I certainly could sit it out again. If I wished to be a fault-finder I should say that the piece is too long, and seems all the longer because some of the characters are supposed to represent schoolboys, and a girl of thirteen. The adapter is Mr. BUCHANAN--a poet and a playwright. This gentleman, I believe, has made many other pieces (more or less) his own, with (more or less) success. He seems to have a knack of turning old plays into new ones. I live in hope that when I next visit this great Metropolis I shall find that he has re-written the _School for Scandal_, and brought _Hamlet_ up to date. Yours always, A CRITIC FROM THE COUNTRY. * * * * * [Illustration: "TOO MANY COOKS--!" THE PAGE-BOY (W.H. SM-TH). "AT ANY RATE, I'VE SAVED THE _CHEESE_!!"] * * * * * THE OPERA-GOER'S DIARY. [Illustration: The Hanging Committee.] _Monday to Saturday_.--Nothing particular this week. Second July Meeting at Newmarket took a lot of people away, and the thunder, hail and rain frightened a lot more away on Thursday, so may as well discuss _Esmeralda_, which I hadn't time to do last week. Rather a mixed affair to start with when you have a French _libretto_, set by an English Composer, and played at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden. No matter. A big success for everyone concerned, from DRURIOLANUS downwards. No one could have wished for a better _Esmeralda_ than Madame MELBA, though she did not make the most of that first charming song, "_L'Hirondelle_." One Swallow, however, doesn't make an Opera, and Madame MELBA soon pulled herself together, and threw herself into the work when she saw Mons. JEAN DE RESZKÉ, as _Phoebus_, winning fresh laurels.