Short and Sweet: A Comic Drama, in One Act

"Short and Sweet: A Comic Drama, in One Act" by Adolphus Charles Troughton is a comical play regarding two couples and the tangled expectations of marriage and social standing, set in the early 1800s. It humorously looks at expectations within marriage, particularly expectations of wives, through the story of two couples: the Sweets and the Shorts. Mr. Sweet, questioning the happiness of his friends, the Shorts, and the attitude his own wife has, resolves to take control of events, leading to hilarious arguments and mistaken beliefs, especially involving a supposed romantic connection between Mrs. Sweet and Mr. Billington. The planned outing introduces conflict; however, funny dialogue reveals the truth, leading to resolution, and the play concludes with the couples pondering their relationships and the silliness of domestic life.