Broken Blossoms

BROKEN BLOSSOMS OR THE YELLOW MAN AND THE GIRL

It is a tale of temple bells, sounding at sunset before the image of Buddha; it is a tale of love and lovers; it is a tale of tears.

We may believe there are no Battling Burrows, striking the helpless with brutal whip- but do we not ourselves use the whip of unkind words and deeds? So, perhaps, Battling may even carry a message of warning.

At the turn-stiles of the East - The bund of a great Chinese treaty port.

Sky-larking American sailors.

The Yellow Man in the Temple of Buddha, before his contemplated journey to a foreign land.

Advice for a young man's conduct in the world - word for word such as a fond parent or guardian of our own land would give.

The Yellow Man holds a great the dream to take glorious message of peace to the barbarous Anglo-Saxons, sons of turmoil and strife.

"Do not give blows for blows. The Buddha says: 'What thou dost not want others to do to thee, do thou not to others'."

Just a sociable free fight for the Jackies - but the sensitive Yellow Man shrinks in horror.

The Yellow Man more than ever convinced that the great nations across the sea need the lessons of the gentle Buddha.

The day set for his departure to foreign shores.

Early morning in the Limehouse district of London, some years later.

Now - Limehouse knows him only as a Chink storekeeper.

The Yellow Man's come youthful dreams to wreck against the sordid realities of life.

Broken bits of his life in his new home.

Chinese, Malays, Lascars, where the Orient squats at the portals of the West.

In this scarlet house of sin, does he ever hear the temple bells?

Fantan, the Goddess of Chance.

The home of Lucy and Battling Burrows.

Fifteen years before one of the Battler's girls thrust into his arms a bundle of white rags - So Lucy came to Limehouse.

Battling Burrows, an abysmal brute - a gorilla of the jungles of East London - gloating on his victory over the "Limehouse Tiger."

The manager's complaint about drink and women puts Battling in a rage - he cannot take his temper out on him - he saves it for a weaker object.

The Girl. When not serving as a punching bag to relieve the Battler's feelings, the bruised little body may be seen creeping around the docks of Limehouse.

Lucy's surroundings have not been the most cheerful. - A married acquaintance has told her -

"Whatever you do, dearie, don't get married."

Warned as strongly by the ladies of the street against their profession.

In every group there is one, weaker than the rest - the butt of uncouth wit or ill-temper. Poor Lucy is one of these.

Lucy, as usual, receives the Battler's pent up brutishness.

"Don't whip me - don't!"

"Please, Daddy! - Don't!"

"Put a smile on yer face, can't yer?"

Poor Lucy, never having cause to smile, uses this pitiful excuse instead.

She has to wait -

he can't stand poor table manners.

He orders his tea for five o'clock.

"Come on - give us a smile."

"My brother leaves for China tomorrow to convert the heathen."

"I - I wish him luck."

HELL

The shopping trip.

This ain't much but all I got to leave you. You might find them some use for your weddin. The piece of silk and the ribbon.

Enough tin foil might get something extra.

The Yellow Man watched Lucy often. The beauty which all Limehouse missed smote him to the heart.

This child with tear-aged face -

Evil Eye also watches.

The Spirit of Beauty breaks her blossoms all about his chamber.

The manager horrified to find Battling at it again.