ecommended, and adopted. Audience sent to the
country, or, rather, _Rusticana_ brought to them.

_Friday_.--House crammed. Great excitement to hear MELBA as _Aida_,
the darky girl. Everybody delighted, except perhaps MELBA herself,
who, on seeing the bouquets, must have murmured, "_Trop de fleurs_!"
Everybody good. Quite the best night of the Season. To-night
BAUERMEISTER appears as _Sacerdotessa_. So this week she has been
Cupid, an old Peasant woman, _Frascita_, a Brigand's Young Woman;
and then, being repentant, she finishes as a Priestess! It's a whole
life-time in a few days.

* * * * *

LADY GAY'S DETECTION.

_Berkeley Square, W._

MR. PUNCH, Sir,

I am surprised to find a Journal of your standing lowering itself to
follow the example of the so-called "Society Journals" by inserting
contributions from women!--I have discovered, no matter how, that My
Wife, who always declares she hates letter-writing, has for months
past contributed a long weekly letter to _Punch_, dealing with racing
from a humorous (save the mark!) point of view! Now I never make jokes
myself--at least intentionally--nor do I think it becomes a man of
position to do so--and I quite agree with SWIFT or SHERIDAN (I know
it was _one_ of these infernal clever literary chaps) who said, "A
humorous woman is a delusion and a snare!"--so you may imagine my
disgust at finding My Wife writing for a Journal!--why couldn't she
have asked Me to help her?--and signing her articles anonymously
too!--for I need hardly tell you she is no more "GAY" than I am!--at
all events when in _my_ society!

Like most busy idlers (that is _not_ intended for a joke)--I go racing
a bit, and of course "have a bit on" like other people, and having
tried all the turf-prophets in turn, with unsatisfactory results, I
was delighted to hear from a friend that "a new DANIEL had come to
judgment" in the person of a tipster on _Punch_, who was "wonderful
good"--(it was just the time when she _did_ blunder on to a
winner)--and I made up my mind to follow the new Prophet DANIEL; but,
by Jove! it resulted in a loss, and DANIEL landed me among the lions
in no time! These are _not_ jokes, but sober facts--I plunged heavily
on all the "Selections," and am now in the pleasant position of owing
the Ring a substantial sum in addition to "the old," through following
My Wife's advice--whilst _her_ banking-account is considerably
augmented through having _l