PETERSFIELD.
Agent—Miss DUPLOCK
CONVERSAZIONE.—On Tuesday evening last the fourth annual conversazione of the Young Men’s Improvement (Society was held at the National School-rooms, which were very tastefully decorated for the occasion, and completely filled by a large and respectable audience. A subject of general regret was the absence of the Rev. J. M. Sumner (president of the society), who was prevented by severe domestic affliction from taking the chair as usual, and it was in consequence filled by the Rev. T. Field, vice president, who opened the proceedings of the evening with some appropriate remarks on the society’s progress during the past year. The performances commenced with a glee, ‟Awake, Æolian lyre!” This was followed by a recitation, ‟An Indian battle scene,” by Mr. W. Albery; then caMe ‟Kossuth's farewell to the Hungarians,” by Mr. Goodsell; and again a glee, ‟Free and gay now goes the hunter.” Next we were entertained with Mr. Outridge’s ‟Original poetry,” which, being ‟whimsical,” was received, as it was intended to be, with roars of laughter. Then came a very fine recitation from Atherstone’s ‟Last days of Herculaneum,” which was given by Mr. G. Henson with excellent effect; next followed a comic piece, given by Mr. Meeres, in very amusing style, ‟Bored with lodgings,” after which Miss Stirling’s pretty part song, ‟All among the barley,” was very nicely rendered, and received an encore, when ‟The roast beef of Old England” was substituted, and was capitally done. Mr. Dixon then gave Tennyson’s ‟Charge of the Light Brigade,” followed by the ‟Farmer’s Blunder,” a comic recitation, by Mr. F. Henson; Sheridan’s ‟Invective against Warren Hastings” concluded the first part, and was given exceedingly well by Mr. Privett. Cramer’s ‟Triumphal March” led off the second part, followed by a most amusing scene (‟Wanted a Situation”) between Mr. Walker and Mr. Bubbleton Greene, the characters being well sustained by Messrs. Dixon and W. Carter. Next came Mr. Boswell, with his ‟Swiss method of curing the gout,” followed by the ‟Gaping catch,” which called forth a vociferous encore, and for which was substituted ‟Would you know my Celia's charms?” sung with excellent effect to the manifest delight of the audience. Mr. G. Henson next came on with a most doleful history, capitally told, of his troubles from ‟Mrs. B.'s alarms;” then Mr. Macfarland’s ‟Essay on the Imagination,” after which we were again amused by another comic scene, which kept the audience in a continual roar of laughter; in this piece, entitled ‟A Comfortable Day,” the parts were sustained by Mr. Meeres as Codlin; Mr. Macfarland as his unwelcome visitor, who, by dint of mingled impudence, fun, and flattery, contrives to cajole him into lending him a sum of money; Mr. Privett acted the part of the philanthropic Quaker; Mr. Dixon was the maniac, Mr. Godsell his keeper; and Mr. G. Henson the sheriff’s officer, who effectually puts an end to the unfortunate Codlin’s ‟comfortable day” by arresting him for debt; all these parts were acted admirably. Then followed a duet, ‟Some love to roam;” after which the Rev. M. A. Smelt rose to tender the thanks of the audience to the society for the entertainment it had provided, and also to propose a vote of thanks to the Rev. T. Field, for his kindness in taking the chair. This vote having been carried by acclamation and acknowledged by the Chairman, ‟God save the Queen” was sung as finale. The musical arrangements were under the direction of Mr. Sears, assisted by Messrs. W Albery, A. Gammon, Goodsell, and Pullen. We cannot conclude without one word of congratulation to the ‟young men” on the success which has attended them hitherto, and also the manifest improvement in the performance this year, though justice compels us to say that the musical part of the entertainment fell short of last year—a fact we can but feel is attributable to their choosing pieces of too elaborate a character: a fault we hope may be remedied another year.