MAIL NOTICES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10303, 7 November 1911, Page 2

MAIL NOTICES.

Lotte* mails close for the following places M under, subject to the necessary alterationn:— Mails per express to Dunedin and South oloao daily at 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.; late fee (i.e., letters bearing Id additional stamp), 11.15 a.m.; also mail van up to 8 a.m., and guard's van, 11.55 a.m. train. Books and newspapers, 7 a.m. and 10.10 a.m. "TUESDAY, NOVEMBEE 7. For Northern Ports, per Maori, at '6.15 p.m.; late foe letters, 6,'io p.m.; guard's van, 7.40 p.m. train. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8. For Dunedin and Invercargiil, per Honc-wai, at 11 a.m.; late fee letters, 11.15 a.m.; guard's van, 12.10 p.m. train. For Northern Ports, per Mararoa, at 4.15 p.m.; late fee letters, 4.30 p.m.; guard's van, 5.25 p.m. train. For Kaikoura, per Cygnet, at 6.15 p.m.; late fee letters, G. 45 p.m.; guard's van, 7.40 p.m. train. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9. For Australian Slates, etc., duo Sydney November 14, India, China, Ceylon, Hong Kong, Straits Settlements, South Africa, etc.; also Continent of Europe and United Kingdom, via Naples, due London December 16, per s.s. Maori, to connect with Manuka., at 6.15 p.m.; late fee letters, 6.45 p.m.; guard's van, 7.40 p.m. train. Money orders 4 p.m., registered articles and parcels 5 p.m., book 3 and newspapers 5.45 p.m. Mails for Australian States:, per Whangnpe, via Sydney, close at Westport, November 7, at 7 p.m. Mails from the United Kingdom, oto., via Brindisi, that left London on September 29, are clue in Christclrurch on November 7, as follows:—Newspapers, 5.30 p.m., via Bluff. Mails for Cromarty, Poyse.rp.ir Point and Te Oneroa, close at Invercargiil on November 9, at 1.30 p.m. The next' mail for Canada, United States of America, etc., via San Francisco, will' ciosn at Christchureh on November IG. Mails for Tongn, Samoa and Fiji, per Atua, close at Auckland on November 8, at 8.45 a.m. The next mail from the United Kingdom, etc. (despatched from London on October 4), via San Fmncisco, is due in Christchureh on November 10. Note.—November 10 (Show Day)—Tho usual letter carriers town delivery will bo made up to 11.80 a.m., and in the suburbs only one delivery will be made. TRAGIC ORIGIN OF -'I PAGLIACCI." Signor Leoncavallo hasi been telling a representative of the " Standard ' how he—the composer—wrote the libretto of "I Pagliacci" from an actual occurrence in his own family. " I went to one of our small theatres when 1 was a boy—yes, a sort of music-hall. 1 was with my brother and my father's valet. The performance was a play with strong love scenes, and in tho middle of it the chief actor stabbed the leading lady. The curtain dropped, and the audience- thought it way all part of tho play. But it seems that the actor, before killing the girl, who was bis real wife, had discovered a love letter in her pocket, signed by our servant, whom the actor recognised boated in front. The sight of his rival prompted the fatal stroke with the knife, and while everybody was applauding what they supposed to be intense realism, the actor had sent_ a message to tho servant to come behind rhe scenes. The servant went, and was met with friendly smiles and conducted to the back of the stage, whero the woman was blooding to death. Then the actor plunged a dagger through tho servant's heart. Jn a moment everything was uproar and terror. The soldiers came and took away the double assassin, and the two dead bodies were carried through the enormous eiowd of horror-stricken pople. 1 never forgot that scene. I can see it now. At tha trial there were allowed to be extenuating circumstances. A man is insane once he becomes really jealous. The actor was .sentenced by my father, whe was one of the judges, to twenty years, and tho people, cheered him as be was taken from Llie Court to the prison, That is what gave me my ' I Pagliiu.ei ' libretto and inspired the music.' 1