To the Editor of the "Nowra-Cinwa Dany News"
Sm—Last night I visited the Nanking Theatre and saw the picture "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" One understands that in order to attract and hold the cinema going public certain historic facts have to be presented in a way that Is not exactly historically correct, instances of this nature are fresh' in our memories. In the Barretts of Wimpole Street we again find that in order to bring the necessary con~ trests of characters, the lights and the shadows, Edward Moulton Bar-ott {5 a5 described in the program-mea half mad tyrant who hides his abnormal sensuality behind a mask of righteousness. The superb acting of Charles Laughton fully endorses that description. But that a correct, description of Ell beth Browning's father? In reply T will quote from the "Prefactory Memoir" and the "Dedication" from "B, B, Browning's Poetical Works", "Baward Barrett Moulton Barrett, her father, was a cultured gentleman of good position-~"Whatever Miss Barrett wrote at this early period was sacred to all eyes save hose of her father, to whom she refers in the first collected edition of her neems, as my public and my eritle""—"Robert Browning, the poet was introduced to Miss Barrett by Mr. Keynon"—"and, in spite of her delicacy of health, and much opposition for that reason from her relatives, Mr, Browning and Mi Barrett were quietly married."
Twe Drorcattox to My Fariten "When your eyes fall on this page Swnom inscribed, your first of dediention, and you start to sce to
ights will be of the' time far Twat a child and wrote verses, and when T dedicated them to you, you were my public and my erltie. Of all Ghat' Guch a recollection implies of jdeat and sweetest to both of Us, It would become. neither of us to speak Detore the world: nor would it be able for us to speak of It to one forme, it must hausted hands. before. this day.—that You, who have shared with ihe in. hinge bitter and sweet, Hoftening oF fenhanelng them every day.—that you, She hold with me over all sense of ets and transiency, one hope by. bhamo-—may accept from me. the forted by you as well at given, Som What more faint hearted. than T used be, it ts my to return to a visible personal dependence any if indeed T were a child again: to conjure your beloved Imago between myself and the public, to, be sure of one smlle—and fatty my heart while T sanctity my Ambition, by associating with the great per sult of tay life, Its tenderest and Your E, E.
This is not the picture of a "Halt mad tyrant father" Exaggerations and distortions a unnecessary as they are unkind even in an attempt to entertain a dificult public, Shanghai, Nov. 24.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.