[Illustration: Mysterious!]
The last play by M. BLAGUE VAN DER BOSCH has just been translated
into English. It is called _The Blackbeetle_, and is a purely domestic
drama. The following Scene from the last Act will give some idea of
the exquisite simplicity and pathos of this great work. M. VAN DER
BOSCH's admirers freely assert that SHAKSPEARE never wrote anything
like this. It will be noticed that M. VAN DER BOSCH, like M.
MAETERLINCK, does not always name his characters, but only mentions
their relation to each other.
SCENE XXV.--_The Great Grandmother, the Mother-in-law,
the Female First Cousin one remove, and the
Brother-in-law's Aunt are discovered standing on the table,
and the Half-sister's Nephew by marriage on a chair._
_The Mother-in-law_. Eh? eh? eh?
_The Female First Cousin one remove_ (_pointing to Half-sister's
Nephew by marriage_). He! he! he!
_The Great Grandmother_. Ay! ay! ay!
_The Half-sister's Nephew by marriage_ (_shuddering_). Oh! oh! oh!
_The Brother-in-law's Aunt_ (_to him_). You! you! you! [_The
Half-sister's Nephew by marriage descends and resolutely steps upon
the Blackbeetle. Curtain._
* * * * *