The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-27
HENRY JAMES'S s'THE WINGS OF
THE DOVE

The most recent product OF Henry James's
unique, subtle and serene power of psyche
logical analysis and equable literary skill
is a novel entitled 1.-The Wings of the
Dove" The dove is a young woman
named Milly Theale, who in a succession
cruelty rapid is deprived of the members
Of her family by death and is left alone
with an immense fortune. Sad and timid
she faces the world, hoping that it shall
be given TO her in some degree to enjoy
life, doubtfully expectant and delicately
susceptible. A Mrs. Susan Stringham, of
Boston, after having been for a few weeks
a guest at Milly's home in New York, is
persuaded to her on a journey
to Europe, to which Milly looks for in
terests that shall stimulate and develop
her vitality. Mrs. %Stringham is trust
worthy, comfortable and re~fined-the au-
thor OF many stories of New England
life"-and as she and Milly start upon their
adventures the prospect is easy and happy.
After some travelling in southern Europe,
during which the spectator is satisfied of
Mrs. Stringham's lack Of comprehension of
Milly's trouble and the impossibility of her
being a prop to the girl balancing on the
edge Of the dark abyss, the two go to
London to visit a Mrs. Lowder, who was a
schoolmate of Mrs. S~tringham's on the con-
tinent in their youth.
Mrs. Lowder is a wealthy, healthy, large
matron engaged in presiding over the af-
fairs Of a circle OF idlers, principal among
whom Is her niece, Kate CroY, who is, with
her aunt's disapproval, in love with a
newspaper writer OF no means, Merton
Densher. Mrs. Lowder has refused to
countenance this attraction for the reason
that it is an essential part of her concep-
ton of beauty that her niece shall be mat
ed to a man Of Importance. Therefore the
young persons have had to give her to I'M
derstand that they accede to her
plan in order that they may
meet. as friends, in Mrs. Lowd-
er's house, which is Hates home. Kate
Is handsome, strong and shrewd, and when
Milly Theale comes into her view she ap-
preciates the chance, for Densher and her
self, contained in the American girl. She
encourages Densher, who is not so clever,
to cultivate the friendship of Muly, mean
ing that through her he may, in some future
contingency, be enabled to reach a place
where he can command Mrs. Lowder's re-
spect as a matrimonial proposition. This
| policy Densher weakly, hesitatingly and in
| part ignorantly. pursues. Milly thinks that
he Is in love with Kate, but that Kate
does not care for him., and as the evolution
of circumstances. directed by Kate, per-
| suades Milly that Densher has given Kate
UP. she permits herself to slip into love
for him.. Now Densher has arrived at the
| point where he clearly sees the plan: Milly
is going to die before long. and If before
her death he shall have been married TO
her he will have money and freedom with
Kate. But 1t is all changed by a man who
has been declined by Milly and who reveals
to her the trachery Of her friends: she
turns her face to the WALL" leaving by
bequest a large part of her fortune to
Densher. Here is revenge, for Densher is
inspired to rebellion and announces to Kate
that he will refuse to accept the legacy
and will make her his wife, or he will give
her Mily's money and leave her forever.
Kate's answer is a demand for his word of
honor that he is not in love with Milly's
memory. To this he says:
Oh-he memory"
speak Of 1t as If you couldn't be. / could,
In your place. and you're one for whom it
will do. Her memory's your love-. You
He heard her out in stiffness, watching
her face, but not moving. Then he only
said: I'll marry you. mind you, in an
hour"
las we were?"
"As we WERE"
But she turned to the door and her head
shake was now the end. I'VE shall never
again be as We were!"
1t is a tragedy Of the selfish inutility of
highly developed conventional life. The
personages, with the exception of Milly, the
feeble Mrs. Stringham and the awkward
Densher. are all trying to work each
other. Kate acts according to her train
ing, urged on by a real love for Densher.
That she does intensely love him she ex-
hibits in giving herself to him when he
demands this as a proof of her sincerity
In the enterprise against Milly. Without
this, he declares to her, he will throw I'D
the whole business. So she secretly goes
to him in his apartment on one of the
days of the time they are actively engaged
in the pursuit of Milly's fortune. Densher,
having been reared In sounder conditions
than Kate. is not able to stand the GRIM
inality OF their proceeding against their
helpless friend. and his feeling for coldly
calculating Kate drops so far as to de-
stroy their partnership. Yet they have had
every advantage. Mrs. Lowder has helped
them, because she wishes to put Densher
of on Milly; Mrs. Stringham has helped
them, because she. poor thing, sees MiIly's
attraction to Densher as a source of
strength for the girl; the social system
helps them, because IL is compounded OK
short-sighted conveniences-but, implac-
ably, nature settles it. almost $50 plainly
is the matter putt, mathematically.
The wretched actuality is made out with
entire plausibility by the author; he pre-
sents every connection between the incl
dents with marvellous accuracy of detail
and cool, patient determination There is
absolutely no escape from the facts. The
wonder OF the work Is that the author has
been able TO withdraw so far from the
activities he describes. for he observes them
from such a distance as TO have an exact
perspective. 1t Is a ease" with which he
is engaged. though he presents his report in
the form of imagery instead OF as a treatise.
The authors principle, as directly ex-
pressed in his essays. is TO commit no COM
promise with superficial and conventional
rule, and from this viewpoint it is his prac-
tice TO examine the affairs OF men and de
liberately to write OF them. Dissatisfaction
arises with his method from the fact that
he is not positively a figure in his con-
ception. In the novel here reviewed no char