 Ladies and gentlemen, the railroad hour. And here comes our star-studded show-pray. Tonight, the Association of American Railroads presents the charming musical Lute Song. Starring Gordon MacRae and his guest, Mimi Benzell. Our choir is under the direction of Norman Lubeau and our music is prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. Yes, tonight, another memorable musical is brought to you by the American Railroad. The same railroads that bring you most of the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the fuel you burn, and all the other things you use in your daily life. And now, here is our star, Gordon MacRae. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, Mimi Benzell and I bring you a lovely and poetic musical play, a classic of the Chinese stage, Lute Song. Honorable gentlemen and ladies, I am the stage manager. We perform for you tonight a venerable tale of the time when the gods walked upon Earth. Since that time the scarlet gate has fallen, the emerald throne is dust. Through our skies today men dart most swiftly than the swallows. They speak to far lands with voices that outrun the sunbeam. But still through the ages the voice of an ancient Lube sings on. And it sings a love song. And now with your permission our play begins. We shall leave nothing out. We hope to be finished before morning. Things of a scholar's need for say that they'll see come through. That is Cha Yong, a scholar in the village of Chin Liu. Oh property man, a different hat for me please, for I must take up my part in the play, an honorable old friend of the family. Greetings, honorable old friend. Cha Yong, why do you sit in your father's house with your chin and a book? Do you not know the summons of the emperor of the middle kingdom? Why do you linger here? I do not wish to go, honorable friend. It is an ancient custom of our country that the best scholars from the provinces are brought to the royal court to enrich it and make it great. My father and mother are old. Who will provide for them? My son, if you attain greatness in the world, that is the most glorious thing you can do for your father and mother. There is another reason I linger here, honorable friend. My wife, my beloved wife. Day and night I think only of my love. My husband, my husband, my dear one. My beloved, I did not know you were near. I will take care of your parents. You must go, my husband. Then only for a small space of time. As much time as you can hold in the palm of your hand. And when my husband returns robed in the garments of a mandarin, his glory will be my pride. And remember this. Here, my husband, take this lute. And if you find loneliness, it will sing our song of love to you. Now, my husband, go and quickly. I hold your beautiful face in my mind as a jewel is held in the heart of the earth. And your hair, your long hair, lovely as the night. Farewell, my beloved. I wish to see now the new chief magistrate of the Middle Kingdom. I am here, my lord. It is you who have passed the examinations with such brilliance, young scholar, that now you are so exalted. I am but a humble student from a far province, my lord. Silence! If I, the prince of the Middle Kingdom, say you are exalted, modesty is not fitting. Now, Jiayong, I have decided you will marry my daughter, the princess. My lord, I am already married. Ah, that we shall annul with the stroke of the pen. Then, my lord, I resign my post. Would you like, Miss Fortune, to strike your family to your folly? May I see my wife again? We have many months of ceremonials planned, young magistrate. Write to her. Yes, I will write. My beloved, how can I tell you? There have been delays, slight delays. I send you my love and this knowledge that I am with you always. From every star... I cannot say more now, my dear wife. I then close these pearls and these pieces of gold. Then close my love. Destroy it. As for the pearls and gold, he shall have them back when he learns to forget. As for the former wife. Oh, send her this old lute he carted along. You have no use for that ear. Nobody but a sentimentalist plays on a lute. We'll return for Act 2 of Lute Song in just a moment. Yes, you enjoy two vacations in one when you travel by train. From the time you start until your trip comes to an end, you travel in air-conditioned comfort and enjoy the conveniences of a first-class hotel while a small army of railroad men work for you. What's more, the speed and economy of today's modern trains put every section of the country within easy reach, invite you to visit excitingly new and different places far from the familiar sights of your own section of the country. And when you get to your destination, you are fresh and rested and rare and ago. Yes, this summer leave the work of vacation travel behind and relax in the pleasure of two vacations in one. Plan now to take the train and really enjoy your well-earned vacation. Now, here is Act 2 of the Lawrence and Lee version of Lute Song, starring Gordon Macrae as Cha Yong and Mimi Benzel as the lovely Cha Oonyang with William Conrad as the stage manager. Eminent gentlemen and ladies, after this brief interval for contemplation and reflection, our play continues. If our rendition has made you weep, do not be ashamed. Tears shed for the sorrows of others are pearls in the robe of mercy. Our story is indeed sad. Let us look in now on Cha Oonyang, lovely sister of the blossoming world. Five times I have watched the waning moon, my husband, and still I have not heard from you. I write to tell you that I have tried to work so that the bowls of your parents may be filled with rice. I have taught the young, the children of others, old proverbs and legends, like the legend of the monkey, which teaches such a good lesson and which brightens the face of the children's laughter. Monkey see and monkey do, he'd like to be a person like you. You make him mad, then you are liable to find him as mad as you are, see. He'll jump right up and tickle your cheek, then he'll want to stay and hold you, or he might run away. My husband, the laughter of school children has died away. There is famine in our province. You cannot laugh when you are hungry. Destroy the letter. Messages from former wives must not disturb the great happiness of my daughter, the princess, and her new husband, the exalted magistrate, Jayong. Oh, my husband, why are you sad? It is not possible to explain it, my princess. Sing for me. When you are alone, I hear you in distant corridors singing sad, sweet songs. Will you not sing one to me? As you command, my princess. Kiss the leaf who thought he'd find his home I feel the drop crystal clear and though the path is very slow where the rainbow's always... My lord, you sang with sorrow. Did you mean to sing it so? When I used to sing songs of love and of joy, I had my old loot, but it has disappeared. And where is your heart, my lord? My heart. My heart grieves for thinking that my loot may be forever lost. Pull by my hair. Pull by my hair. Is that indeed Chao Nyang? It is I, honoured friend. Where is your husband? Where is Jayong? I do not know. I only know that he lives. You see, the loot sings. But why do you sell your beautiful hair? His parents starve. It is all I have left. Customer, take it here, buyer. Cut quickly while I close my eyes. Cut quickly. You, Chaoyong, where have you been travelling? To the province of my birth. To the home of my father. But the land was empty. I went to find my heart. But famine had driven my Chao Nyang away. Only the stars in the sky know where she is. You must forget. Go, go to my daughter. Be content, Chaoyong. I will go, Your Excellency. But I cannot walk with contentment as my companion. Help the poor. Help the poor. Here. Your good woman is a piece of silver. And when you go to the temple, say a prayer for a man whose heart is emptiness. Chaoyong. How did you know my name? I have searched everywhere for you. Don't you know me? Listen. Chaoyong. Chaoyong, my beloved. I shall never leave your side again. Yes, Chaoyong. That is, that is Chao B. Princess. How wonderful is love. Like the sound of the luke song. I release you of all your obligations. You must stay where your heart is. Princess of the Middle Kingdom is indeed a princess. She is a great woman. Chaoyong, we shall be together always. As long as the great mountains stand. Always. Spring will stroll our meadow every day. Winter gray. Very much. And our thanks to lovely Mimi Benzell and to William Conrad, Marvin Miller, Alvina Temple and our entire company. This song written by Sidney Howard and Will Irwin with music by Raymond Scott and lyrics by Bernard Hannigan was dramatized for the railroad hour by Lawrence and Lee. The railroad hour has brought you each week at the same time by the American railroads. Marvin, every hour of the day someone appeals to the Red Cross for help. This month the Red Cross is asking the American people or 93 million dollars to support this humanitarian work. Here with a brief message is the president of the American National Red Cross, Mr. E. Roland Harriman. Man who writes the history of our country inevitably referred to the growth of railroad mileage as an index of economic progress. The classic picture of the iron horse puffing westward reaching and extending the frontier is a tribute in particular to the man who built our great railroads and in general to the courage and sacrifice of our pioneers. Simultaneously, Americans have breached other frontiers in the sphere of ethics, morality and human values. Always in the framework of our dynamic democracy the precept of do unto others has received free play. We of the Red Cross, abiding in the simple proposition of people helping people advance this precept in our own time. Frontiers are still opening up. Now your Red Cross has joined the fight to rescue children from the crippling after effects of polio. Now your blood will help a child to walk, bring life into the veins of a wounded Korean combatman, preserve the life of a mother in difficult childbirth. And through the Red Cross you give life and you give hope. The knock of the Red Cross volunteer on your door is a neighborly summons to answer the call of humanity. The call from the troubled wife of a man in uniform. From the family hit by a tornado. From a hospitalized Korean serviceman. People helping people. That is the meaning of the call. That is the meaning of your Red Cross. All aboard! Well it looks it's all ready to pull out and so until next Monday night and Victor Herbert's Princess Pat with Elaine Malvin, this is your friend Gordon Macrae saying goodnight. Gordon Macrae may soon be seen co-starring in by the light of the silvery moon. Our choir was under the direction of Norman Luboff and our music was prepared and conducted by Carmen Dragon. A portion of the preceding program was transcribed. Until next week this is Marvin Miller saying goodnight for the American Railroad. Now stay tuned for your Monday night of music on NBC. Tonight the Voice of Firestone features Nadine Connor on NBC.