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Twin Roses a Narrative by Anna Cora Ritchie
Publisher: Ticknor and Fields (Boston) Publication Date: 1857
Brief
Synopsis: (From
Imogene J. McCarthy’s 1953 Master’s Thesis “Anna Cora Mowatt and Her Audience”) Twin Roses is the
story of wardrobe room and stage. Beautiful twin sisters find their identical
lives rent asunder by a London stage accident which cripples Jeannie Garnett,
who then becomes wardrobe mistress while her sister Jessie tours the
provinces. Jeannie’s seclusion is
invaded by Herman Landor, the stage-struck son of wealth, and the two are soon
engaged. When Jessie returns, however,
Jeannie witnesses a mutual and instantaneous love between her sister and her fiancé,
and she not only sacrifices her own hope of happiness for that of her sister
but does it with such tact that Jessie never knows that Herman had planned to
marry Jeannie, and Herman soon forgets it.
It could be said that it was a doubtful favor she did her sister,
however, for Herman was slow in attaining maturity either as an actor, a
husband, or a father. When Jessie and Herman go to America in search of the
success he has not found at home, their child Mildred is left with her
aunt. By the device of bringing the
young English couple to America for a tour, Anna Cora is permitted to view
objectively and comment freely on American life. Fortunately, too, “American history, so
little investigated by Englishmen in general, Herman found one of his most
fascinating studies.”1 Herman was delighted with rocking chairs which
were “certainly invented to meet the demands of something in the unquiet
American temperament with which Herman sympathized.”2 Jessie was
happy in the friendship of Miss Pomeroy of Boston, a new type of womanhood to
the little English actress. This young girl was an admirable
type of the Massachusetts maiden; highly educated, self-reliant, unprejudiced, consulting
the dictates of strong good sense and a warm heart rather than the world’s
opinion.3 Jessie and Herman, in their professional engagements,
covered the eastern states of the country, admiring the natural wonders and
beauties and commenting appropriately upon the points of historical
interest. The culmination of their trip,
as might be guessed, was Mount Vernon.
Jessie remarks: If there were but one spot that I
could visit in this beautiful land, it would be the memory-hallowed home and
grave of the father of this country. No
land contains such ashes as those!4 And again: Do they not feel that Washington’s spirit
is abroad in the world, filling the souls of a heaven-favored people with the
love of freedom and of country, though his ashes are gathered here?5 Some concern is expressed about the uncertain future of
Mount Vernon, but, Jessie is confident that …Mount Vernon will not be
desecrated. If governments are forgetful, there are too many grateful hearts in
the breasts of American women for Mount Vernon, the home of their father, to
become a ruin. What did you tell me of
the raising of Bunker Hill Monument? …And may not the efforts of the faithful
and devoted women of the land preserve, enshrine Mount Vernon?6 She even had the gift of prophesy so that she could herald
an unnamed Ann Pamela Cunningham: …one noble, self-sacrificing and
wholly unselfish, patriotic woman, and thousands of hands and hearts will labor
with her…7 Upon returning to England, Herman and Jessie find that
Jeannie and Mildred have succeeded in reconciling Herman’s father and all
closes happily.8
Major Themes: Theatrical professionals deserve the same respect granted to other professions Educating readers on the importance
of preserving Mt. Vernon as a historic monument Encouraging tourism in Virginia True love is sacrificial
Characters: Jeannie
Garrett: Beautiful young orphan
daughter of actors, disabled by stage accident Jessie
Garret: Jeannie’s identical twin sister, a promising young ingénue Herman
Landor: a wealthy young man; defies his parents to follow his dream of
becoming an actor Mildred
Landor: Jessie and Herman’s daughter Bulbul:
a pet bird Mr.
and Mrs. Landor: Herman’s
parents. Amassed a fortune by trading in
iron in Devonshire Mr.
Brown: demanding costumer of the theatre where Jeannie works Mrs.
Budd: wardrobe mistress Mr.
Linkum: the theatre’s unscrupulous
manager Dorothy
(Dolly): the company’s specialist in “breeches” roles Sylvester: Dolly’s brother, also a member of the
theatrical company Mr.
Hawkwood: experienced senior actor of theatrical company; backstabbing,
envious, and duplicitous Miss
Pomeroy: free-thinking Massachusetts
theatrical enthusiast who houses Herman and Jessie after their ship-wreck and
helps them launch their careers in the U.S. Mr.
Pomeroy: Miss Pomeroy’s father Aunt
Sylvia: a maid (the narrative does not make it clear if Sylvia is a
slave or free person) in Richmond who nurses Jessie back to health Publication
History:
In the preface to Twin
Roses, the author gives a strong indication that the novel began as story
meant to be included in Mimic Life; “Twin Roses” belongs to the series of narratives commenced
in “Mimic Life.” A friend asks, “Why do you devote yourself to writing of the
stage? Could you not be inspired with equal interest in other subjects?” Yes;
-- but it was not designed that the experiences of ten years should be
wasted. There are abundant workers in
other fields; the invisible hand that rules events point out my humbler task in
this.9
The novel begins as a tale of jealousy and sacrifice in a
theatrical troupe in London, then rather abruptly shifts gears and sends two of
the main characters to the U.S. to become struggling touring players. Although
not as polished an artistic composition as other of her works, Twin Roses does give significant
historic insight into the everyday working conditions of backstage employees
and bit players in small mid-century London theater. When the scene shifts to the U.S., readers
get a glimpse not only at the life of a touring player, but a rare look at the lucrative
“museum” circuit of the Northeast that was theatre in all but name. The author also shares autobiographical touches from her
life after her retirement from the stage.
Herman and Jessie Landor take trips around the state of Virginia to
scenic locations such as Aquia Creek, Weyer’s Cave, and the Natural Bridge,
that the writer documents in letters and/or essays as having visited herself. The highlight of the fictional couple’s stay
in the U.S., though, is a trip to the then as yet unrestored Mt. Vernon. The author
used what she anticipated would be vigorous sales for her book to broadcast a
patriotic plea for the preservation of George Washington’s home.
Reception: Anna Cora Mowatt Ritchie, although no longer an actress, was
still a recognizable public figure in 1857 due to the success of George Payne R. James wrote a detailed critique of the book
for the Southern Literary Messenger that was later reprinted in William F.
Ritchie’s Richmond Enquirer. James compliments the style of the book but
pointed out problems with the plot; “Twin Roses” has its defects, and
we shall presently point them out; but nobody can call it dull. – A light, dancing brilliant style, poetical
allusions playing through the pages, like little rippling waves in the
sunshine, with, every now and then, a keen and witty but good-humoured stroked
at some passing folly, and some beautiful paintings of scenery, amuse and
interest us as we go, without withdrawing the mind from the tale of the
characters. With the tale we shall not deal
closely. Every author has a right to demand that no critic should forestall the
effect of his plot upon the reader’s mind, by giving even a sketch of a book’s
contents. Nevertheless it is perhaps
with the tale that, in one respect at least, we are the most inclined to
quarrel. Let us say it in a word. The conclusion is too sudden – too rapid. The mind of the reader is not sufficiently
prepred for it. Not that there is
anything unnatural in it, except in its quickness. Was the author weary of this labor of
love? Could she not spare us five and
twenty pages more? We can assure her, we should have read them with great pleasure. 10
..The scenes in the theatre are
generally excellent. The perils, pains,
pleasures, failures, and triumps of the actor’s life are well described. The defect, which especially mars the latter
portion of the volume, is the absence of any artistic reason for the numerous
descriptions of scenery which are introduced.
The tourist and the novelist do not happily combine.11 Although not as highly praised by critics as her
autobiography or Mimic Life, Twin Roses was still purchased by loyal
fans of Anna Cora Mowatt Ritchie. The
vivid descriptions in the book may have even persuaded quite a few readers to
contribute to the efforts of the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association to acquire and
preserve George Washington’s home.
External
Links Read the novel online here: https://archive.org/details/twinrosesanarra00ritcgoog/page/n5/mode/2up Audiobook available here: Notes 1.
Ritchie,
Anna Cora. Twin Roses. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1857. Page 157. 2.
Ibid.
Page 163. 3.
Ibid.
Page 137. 4.
Ibid.
Page 181. 5.
Ibid.
Page 186 6.
Ibid.
Page 191. 7.
Ibid. 8.
McCarthy,
Imogene J. “Anna Cora Mowatt and Her Audience.” Thesis. University of Maryland,
1953. Pages 68-69. 9.
Ritchie,
Anna Cora. Twin Roses. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1857. Preface. 10.
James,
George Payne R. “Twin Roses: A Narrative.”
Southern Literary Messenger. Vol.
26, Issue 2, Feb. 1858. Page 128. 11.
Atlantic
Monthly, Vol. I. May, 1858. Page 892.
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For more in-depth
information and analysis |
Reading the novel, it is easy to imagine that beginning
around Chapter 9, the writer restructured her original draft in order to add
material that would help publicize her work with the Mount Vernon Ladies
Association’s efforts to have George Washington’s home turned into a national
monument.
her
autobiography, Mimic Life, and her
efforts promoting the work of the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association. 
The reviewer of the Atlantic
Monthly summed up the novel’s flaws succinctly;
