Margaret Fleming by James Herne is surprisingly bold and realistic for the time period in which it was written. The topic of infidelity is addressed frankly and other aspects, such as breastfeeding a child, are portrayed realistically. The content, therefore, seems quite modern for the work's 1890 date. Yet Herne is the successor of a playwright like Henrik Ibsen rather than Bronson Howard or, indeed, Augustin Daly. As Watt and Richardson note, Margaret Fleming is "unmatched in realism by any other known American drama of her century" (236, emphasis added). The plot of the play centers on the marital relationship of Margaret and her husband Phillip. He was unfaithful to another woman and a child was born from that adulterous relationship. One can imagine that the public might have been shocked by such a topic. Yet Margaret handles the situation she is forced into openly, honestly, and courageously. After hearing the news of her husband's affair, she wants to confront him immediately. The words in the note he sends demonstrate his urgency and directness: "'Phillip: I'm waiting for you, here. That girl is dead'" (258). In the last act, the doctor emphasizes Margaret's character, saying, "'What a brave and cheerful little woman you are.'" To which Margaret replies, "'What's the use of being anything else? I see no good in living in this world, unless you can live well'" (261). He has motivations for his actions, as all realistic characters should. By comparison, Howard's Shenandoah plot seems incredible. That play centers on the relationships between Northerners and Southerners who survive the Civil War and its aftermath while ignoring the problem… mid-paper… dependent, then independent. Each woman makes difficult decisions that she must conform to, and each takes on responsibilities that must be accepted or discarded. Finally, everyone is aware that others also carry burdens and must make their own choices. While other heroines and heroes are flat and subject to fate and circumstance, Margaret, like Nora, exists in the consequences of human behavior. While Under the Gaslight might end with Laura's hopeful, but still melodramatic, words, and Shenandoah with the unlikely wedding. of the protagonists, A Dolls House ends in a whisper. And Margaret Fleming? This comedy ends with the gentle reminder of the responsibility to make choices, with courage and honesty. Margaret tells her husband that her children, both legitimate and illegitimate, await his attention; “'They're both out there. In the garden'" (264).