A number of years ago Henry James was at work on a volume of short
stories. “And when will it be ready?” he was asked.
“Oh, I never know,” he said. “I work by easy stages.”
That sentence gives the keynote to the character of the great
novelist himself and of his writings. He wrote carefully, easily,
and neatly.
Born in New York City on April 15, 1843, Henry James spent most of
his boyhood in Europe. His father was Henry James, the theological
writer, and from him the novelist derived his idiomatic,
picturesque English. His brother became Professor William James,
the psychologist and philosopher, who died in 1910.
Henry James entered Harvard Law School in 1860; but found out soon
that he cared more for literature than for law. His first short
story was published in 1865, and many stories and sketches quickly
followed this.
After 1869 he made his home in England, living in London, or Rye in
Sussex, for the most part. He was a member of the American Academy
of Arts and Letters, and in 1911 received the degree of L. H. D.
from Harvard.
Mr. James dictated all his work to a secretary, and he rewrote
and polished it from a typewritten copy. With his writing he took
infinite pains. His sentences are long and involved at times; but
in spite of this confusing fact his sentences are balanced and
complete.
His whole life showed the same ordered neatness as his books.
His library was carefully selected and shelved. His letters were
always arranged in little piles of the same size. One man tells
that during a call on the novelist he saw him, when the ash had
collected on the end of his cigarette, walk the length of his study
and snip it out of the open window.
Henry James has been called a modern of the moderns as a novelist.
He described contemporary life. His characters are people of
the world; but they are subtle and complex. The human element
predominates.
He is not widely read, because the public finds him hard to read.
As someone said, “His books need to be translated for the average
reader.” This is due in part to his use of long and involved
sentences, and in part to his subject matter.
His career was a happy one. It was long, and was free from serious
mistakes. His talent and point of view were personal. He had a
crowd of imitators; but none of these approached the master in
greatness.
There was one side of the character of Henry James, the man, of
which few people knew. Never did a man in need come to him whom he
did not offer to help. Years ago, when James was deriving an income
of less than $1,500 a year from his writing, a novelist died in
England. He died in poverty, leaving two little children absolutely
alone in the world. A friend assisted the children and wrote to
other literary men asking for help. One literary man, whose income
was over $200,000, was appealed to in vain. Among those from whom
aid was asked was Henry James. A check for $250, more than a sixth
of his whole year’s income, arrived from him by return mail.
Henry James died in London on February 29, 1916.
[Illustration: WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS]
William Dean Howells, a close student of American character and
a realist in his writings, is the subject of one of the six
intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating “American Novelists.”