AMUSEMENTS.

The Midsummer Dullness Settles Down at St. Paul.

Amusement matters in St. Paul during the past week have undergone a period of total eclipse and stagnation, not even the smallest star in the dramatic firmament deigning to shed it lustre over the benighted community.

The Grand Opera house has remained closed during the week and the only ray of comfort in this direction consisted in the announcement on the bill boards, which informed the inquiring public of the return to this city this week of the Carleton Opera company. This excellent attraction is billed to appear on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings of this week. The recent appearance of the company in St. Paul, in the "Merry War," will be recalled with pleasure and the music lovers of this city will be pleased to learn that during the ensuing engagement both the latter production, with its bright music, sweet melodies and pretty costumes, and the popular and familiar opera of "Fra Diavalo" will be presented. The company has now a warm place in the affections of the St. Paul public and they will be accorded a hearty return welcome.

A Pleasant Reminiscence.

By way of reminiscence the recent engagement of the Wallack company ever recurrs as one of the most enjoyable and successful, in an artistic sense, that has been given in St. Paul for many a day. Seldom indeed, has a St. Paul audience been accorded the privilege of beholding a company which contained so many finished artists. Several of the rolls were consumate in their finish and harmony, and it would be difficult to group together actors of more sterling ability than Osmond Tearle, Mrs. Sol Smith, Sophia Eyre and Flora Livingston. Aside from the prominence given two of the artists, the perfect grace of the characters assumed by Miss Livingston called for the highest meed of encomium. This lady displays a consummate degree of art and discernment, a thorough grasp of the fine points of her characters that is almost wonderful. She is an actress of high dramatic attainments, and she has the peculiar and bewitching faculty of almost sinking her identity in the impersonation - a gift as rare as it is charming. She is yet a lady sound in her profession, and we predict for her high powers the greatest success on the mimic stage.

Rice Park Concert.

The Great Western band returned last night from its trip of a week up through the northwest to Winnipeg, and the members thereof were pretty tired, but they proceeded directly to the park, and gave the following programme:

March, "Stars and Stripes................Sawmylegoff.
Mazurka, "Liebesbluethen................Reinhardt.
Selection, "Olivette..........................Andran.
Idylle, "The Tyrolean and his love"....Zikoff.
Overture, "Light Cavalry".................Suppe.
Waltz, "Woman's Love"...................Fahrbach.
Potpourri from "Rigoletto"................Verdi.
- a Romanze, "Sentimento"...............Pettee.
- b Galop, "Champagner".................Wiegand.