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Letters have wrouglit much havoc fin opera, and often bave playéd a varlety of roles. Opera's rnost villain- Dus letter is perhaps the one writtenl bv Scarpia for Tosca, offering lier and Cavradssisafe conduct ater a mock, execution that was not to.be a mocl execution. P edora's-.,letter t& the Ambassador at St. Petersburg, informing himi of Loris' murder of bier lover, Vladimir. becomes more villainous as the opera proceeds towards the third act, for% Fedora falîs in love With Loris, and discovers too late that-Viadimir was unfaitbful, to bier and was 'rigbtly sia'in. Anotber letter in dxc tbird act informis'Loris that 'a spy (Fedora) bas caused-tbe death of bis bTotber and mother as revenge for Vladimir's death, and Fedora is forced to swal- low poison, believing. that Loris would not forgive- ber. In "La Traviata," Violetta's last hours are made 'happy by a letter f rom Alfred's father, telling ber that be bas reyented and hasý informed ber * lover of her great sacrifice, and that Alfred is even. now on bis way to sec ber. Le tter s Dignifi.d Julien's second letter to Louise*s * father in "Louise" is dignified andl courteous, 'asking for tbe band of the girl be loves..Altbough Le Pere reads the letter in a kindly mood, be shakes his head mournfully and tells Louise that at lier age "taking a bus- band i8 choosing a doll," and bis con- * Gcirg back to "Tosca " there is the famous letter whicb Cavaradoss; writes in. the pale morninjg light on the platform 'of the castie, just before he la to be executedl. «"£ lucevan le stelle» is one of the, best lovcd tenor arias in opera. As be writes, Cavaradossi pours ont bis love for Tosca, and ends witb that despairing cry that neyer has lii e seenmed so dear to hlm as at this moment Graçoful Letter . aSung iously said to a triefld wflo rushei, thomne weeplng, back stage to copînnent Scott, ber, ',Ah, did you crry? Then it.,wassI ton,. 1 a sooksess." , , aiIl find ýa> sçev'erai of her t for -the eyes o-a hot «ay. Carleton Smitb, left, bas been asking her about "Peter Ibbetson4" which is being given at Ravinia for the second time on Saturday uigbt of this week. Edward Johnson, who plays Peter to Miss Bori's Duchess of Towers, see ms vastly amused 'at the prima donna's bon mots, while Wilfred Pelletier, wbo. Ôla directing tbe Deems Taylor opera, is booking ovçr. a piquant shoulder and perbaps wondering wben the rebearsal will be resumed. Desire Defrere, wbose task it is to manage the diffilcult staging of the opera, is here shown in one of bis f ew restful moments. Ini spite of carrying the heavy load of s'aging, hle still bas enough pep left to beami fondly at bis "chidren."~ 'Iocki hicago avenue, Evans-. James A. Munt morning of this week, Jones, Prof. Ee Prof. George, R. as Aristocracy By Ru theIda L- Pr.<el Tfhe aristocraey of the free-seaters at Ravinia is no'less imposing than the aristocracy of those who nigbtly enter the sheltered portais of tbe opera house, traîling their >e xpensive or .(inex-- ýpensive) gowns and finding, their seats with 'disdainf ul nonchalance. --Thé - lne. that separates the two aristocracies is as -severe, and impene- trable as a stone walL' When wke sit insiçle the opera bouse there exists no f ree. seat:section,. nô. baerier of standers at the, back. We walk past both with eyes and-miuds oblivious. to tbeir ach- ing backs or acbing f eet-we like to think -of tem ,asacing-+and we en- shroud ourselves in the exclusive gloom of the opera house gratecfully. The "ATrifle AMoof"1 Telavish entertainment provided by Louis 'Eckstein on the stage bef ère us pleases our. vanity, and. we May con-ý descend to applaud with critical palms. and nod our critical heads approvingly at propér tiffis. We are evenx carried away witb enthusiasm and fling out a hilarious "Bravo." But we never f or- get that we are inside the opera house and that we owe it to our aristocracy to remain a trifie aloof. We go out during the intermissions to -be Iooked upon as we windour way through the throng with a cool,. de- tached air. We wait until the last moment befôore agairn sweeping past those who do flot exist. Where ThriIIs Are TiArlis But when we beloang to the aristo- cracy - of the free-seaters we feel a superiority uè'ver knowvn before. We sit under the trees and absurdly.want to congratulate ourselves as we look towards the stage and listen to theý singing. The stage and its singera seem curiously close and intimate, and, the orchestra has a sÉwçeter.sound.* Be- fore us are only -dim silhouettes that mighlt. be otherý people. They make us feel at once near. and remiote, rich in f riends and yet alone. In the growing dusk, we gradually loac ail sense of any other world but Ravinia's world. and anv other if e but, ju- aluuliý-tvilwV 5I4vF LUi$Io u F ur Iq scats, or otners., ,conductor of the it does .not matter. The lights go off nic orchestra. A and again we surrender ourselves to 'cd singers will bé enchantment. We are glad we arc ait- irection of Prof. ting outside, we say soundlessly'to eacb Prof, J. Wesley other as our eyes meet casually. rd Boatner, and We are the.aristocracy of thc f ree- mer., Jr. seaters.