New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-03
AN UNSATISFA Glory WORK.
MR.. SWINBURNE'S TRAGEDY.

TIE SISTERS. 4 Tragedy. By. Asernon Charles
swinburne. l6mo. up. 1885, uriicd States Book
Company.
Mr.. sw1nburnfs tragedy. "The Sisters Is by no
means extended elaborate composition. Tie
"dramaus personnel number no more than six. The
time covered Is but two three days Bu. the
deepest emotions and the strongest passions rhd
preston though not, as w think In tho most salts
flying way, regarded from d literary point on view.
Twin sisters. Anne and Mabel UlsOn love unwiitrg1y
10 one another. the same man, Reginald Clhver1ng a
young Waterloo hero. Anne. pereivlng that Reginald
loves Mabel but is afraid to Let hs passion be imovn
% her, hns,lnch as he Is a poor soldier and she
rich heiress opens the EYES Of ncr sis,hr and with
dif1cuiy conv1nccs her that she must speak 10
Reginald herself This Mabel does and shs and
Reginald reveal themselves to one another. Mean
while Mabel ina gnes that Anne Is IN low with Frank
Dilstnn her cousin but Anne, after her self sacrifice
begins 10 reIlize that she has undertaken burden toe
hcovy for her. She cannot endure the sight Of her
sisters Happiness. She Il unable To refrain from maxi
Ing little biting remarks, which convince Mabel that
she Is not happy, though she has no suspicion OF the
truth
The tragedy Is led up 10 and suggested by the act
Ing at the country house where all are staying Of m
interlude written By Reginald The motive Is jcal.
0usy the scene, medieval italy. One woman poIstns
another, her adopted sister. in The play. and the de-
movement is nearly ~ ngulnary tat Of Hamlet
falls. Now II happens that Ammo has borrowed from
an old collection Of quantity fashioned tasks In
chemical laboratory In the house, one which had
formerly belonged to an assortment OF poisons pre-
pared by some dead ancestor Everybody sipposes
that these bottles had long since been cInpted but
the common suppOsition proves TO b. a mistake. The
day after the play Mabel and Reginald come upon
Anhe sitting moody and secluded, and 10 her hand
they notice tho curious antique mask which had been
cscd as stag property on the previous evening
Mabel asks her sister TO lei her look at H. Ammo
refuses at fret but presently Yields. Mabel admires
tho color Of the Mould opens the flask and finds the
odor fragrant. she Is about to taste II when Anne
interposes and utters vague warming but as before
she Yields and lets Matel drink Of The nash's con-
loolung on in Q hind Of stupor Then she tells the
death-sttcE6n lovers what they have done
She hah intended TO kll herself alone The In
sdious suggestions Of nc play worsing upon her
Distracted mind naturally Inclined her 10 take ad
vantage Of tire opportunity thrown as II were into
hr hands By the innocent curiosity Of her rival But
why should she have made oflort 10 save Reginald
whom she loved, and for whose sakc she had tooped
10 murder her tw1n-sisterf Jealous women have
frequently committed crimes upon their rivals hut
surely tho Instances arc few In which such women
have been willing 10 whem the object a their love
In q common ruin with the hated rival Did Mr.
swfnburno possibly intend to suggest that nfer poison
Ing Mabel, Ammo seized with 80 much compuncton
might allow Reginald 10 accompany his bride TO
the place beyond the grave calculating and thor.
oughly selfish woman would have been apt 10 think
that. with Mabel cut Of the way By . catastrophe
which might snsly be made to aDuesr accidental. all