It is generally true—and foreign writers seldom fail to make much of the point—that Chinese audiences chat, feast, and enjoy what seem social times rather than pay atten tion to' drama. On November 6, however, when Mr. Ch'éng Yen-chin, the popular opera tic female impersonator, stood at} the footlights as the heroine of the Niatoricat drama, "Wen Chi Kuei Hum" or "Wen' Chi's Return Han," the audience gave, in spite of its habits, undivided ' attention to the play and superb singing.
The story, in brief, follows. During a battle between the Chinese and the Southern Batang-nu, Wen Chi, a woman of high birth, along with her maidservant, ly captured by barbarians and finally is persuaded to wed Prince Tao Hsien, She lives for 12 years amongst the Msiungnin, giving. birth to tve sons, Ts'x0. Teao, feeling pity for her father. Teal Yung, because the aged man had no sons, to carry on the family Hine, sent Chow Eh parchawe Wen Chi's Woman's gad parting with her sins find the excellent sons, ax well the striking costumes and the improvement in construction of the lay, combine to make she work th Test of its kind.
The Poctry of Sorrow suns, Wen Chi, while on her who had beet (B.C the barbarians. Comparing swerowa, abe felt deeply moved. the 25 episodes of the play. Cheng sung ud fewer than six portant scenes, of which ape Uf one only, namely the fan érk~ Kuang song,' style of musie suited for the expression of the deepest sorrow, Ist weeps $0, ear tome, I, Wen Chi, come Cove. recount my: dolorwite tale.
By my beauty have I been brough
Heaven why it decrees that you, ariel. Task Great that I, suffer similar fates:
Alas, that you are abandoned in' this grave to swatch alone the: dismal dusk."
The words, the music, the expression of voice and fice, along with the majestic sweep of the ermine cape made the moment unforgettable. Deafening applause followed, because good singing is de resistance of a Chinese mother scene, in which through the night and over the randy Wastes may be heard the eerie notes. of Mongolian bugles that rotise in the Woman s strong desire for her tons, emotion, ge-ture, and the plaintive manner of declamation create 8 grandeur constantly ug.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.