The Lyceum Theatre is calculated to hold some eight hundred peuple at the outside, and considerably more than a thousand tickets were issued for Thursday's (22nd) concert, at which every one was anxious to be present, as these concerts, whether smoking or smokeless, have acquired a just reputation, and it was known that several Indies were to appear for the first tine in public before shanghai audience, 'The high regard in which General Kennedy, the U.S. Consul-General, and President of the Society, is held' by the community was another inducement to all who could to attend what may unfortunately—though we hope the loss will be averted - be his last appearance in that capacity at one of the Society's major entertainments. Before the doors were opened, the audience began to collect, and long before nine o'clock the Theatre seemed full, and as the hour for opening the proceedings arrived, every nov and corner of the house was filled by " most comprehensive gathering all that is beautiful and intelligent in our anted society, while the Mongolian races also sent their representatives, Leaders of society of both sexes had to be content with the bare benches in the gallery, the wonted haunts of the dollar gods, and an impromptu row of stalls had to be arranged in the orchestra itself, so that the usual solitary grandeur of the president and vieepresidents was agreeably lighted up by the gloss of satin and glimmer of pearl.
Nine o'clock had just sounded, and the largest audience ever assembled in the Lyceum was all attention, when the General rapped his tin table for silence, and began My frieuds:—Your presence here evinces the great hold that this Society has taken on this community, and is very complimentary to the ladies and gentlemen
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.