tries to show her that she has destroyed not only his family's but his
son's happiness by suffering Alfred to unite himself to one so
dishonored as herself. He succeeds in convincing her, and,
broken-hearted, she determines to sacrifice herself and leave Alfred
secretly. Ignoring the possible reason for this inexplicable action,
Alfred is full of wrath and resolves to take vengeance. He finds
Violetta in the house of a former friend, Flora Bervoix, who is in a
position similar to that of Violetta.--The latter, having no other
resources and feeling herself at death's door a state of health
suggested in the first act by an attack of suffocation, has returned to
her former life.

Alfred insults her publicly. The result is a {327} duel between her
present adorer, Baron Dauphal and Alfred.

From this time on Violetta declines rapidly, and in the last act, which
takes place in her sleeping-room, we find her dying. Hearing that
Alfred has been victorious in the duel, and receiving a letter from his
father, who is now willing to pardon and to accept her as his
daughter-in-law, she revives to some extent and Alfred, who at last
hears of her sacrifice, returns to her, but only to afford a last
glimpse of happiness to the unfortunate woman, who expires, a modern
Magdalen, full of repentance, and striving tenderly to console her
lover and his now equally desolate father.

TRISTAN AND ISOLDA.

Lyric Drama in three acts by RICHARD WAGNER.

The music to this drama is deemed by connoisseurs the most perfect ever
written by Wagner, but it needs a fine and highly cultivated
understanding of music to take in all its beauty and greatness. There
is little action in it, and very often the orchestra has the principal
part, so that the voice seems little more than an accompaniment, it has
musical measures too, which cannot be digested by an uneducated hearer;
but nevertheless many parts of it will interest every-one.

Isolda's love-song for instance is the noblest hymn, ever sung in
praise of this passion.

The first act represents the deck of a ship, {328} where we find the
two principal persons, Tristan and Isolda together,--Tristan, a Cornish
hero, has gone over to Ireland, to woo the Princess for his old uncle,
King Marke. Isolda however loves Tristan and has loved him from the
time when he was cast sick and dying on the coast of Ireland and was
rescued and nursed by her, though he was her enemy. But Tristan,
havi