The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-26

women understand Mr. Jamesl never
heard one OF the EEK confess that she did
not. 'Undsratand himP they all say, why
OF oourSe We DO. 1 have never been brave
s SSS0 demand q .5c HEs oe 6S nj Rope
l know. my place better than that.
DO understand himi don't pTsbend
.. l don't think men do, Personally l
don't speak the same language With M
S me- but SfmiEe hin trSms sai5 .SS
Henry James had the greatest mind Ct the
last afty yearS, and am Inclined 70 agree
with him.
There are many who think him a poeeur
that he ls Intentionally Obscure. Nothing
brain that receives lmpreedons 90 quickly
that the average mind simply cannot follow
him He Is In an Intellectual stratum
removed from the ordinary. that II al,
You get that truth constantly In his con-
fascinating. Suddenly be gets beyond
your ken. An Idea iS expressed and II is
as II a light struck q diamond and was
reflected from, q hundred facets: That
thought creates impression after impress
sion, and you Sink back hopeless, unable
10 follow, but adniring just the same
'Yst / have been With him at a family
dinner or with few congenial soulf; and
he "a charming In his simplicity, never
wandering far afield ip his talk, but touching
everyday topics With q grace ana ease
which show him at his very best.
Henry James n not rich man; he has
not made q fortune from his work; he lives
simply In his English home and has many
friends IN London and elsewhere: All the
women you meet In London drawing rooms
understand him perfectly; they say they 90;
A recent little incident shows his att ude
10 his art quite clearly For long time I
have wanted to publish a novel In the North
American RepieU, which has always veered
away from that special line OF literature
spoke Of II 10 Mr.. James. told hun
clearly what It meant; that while the NORTH
American had a subscription list OF 1900,
Hdrpef'S Magazine had one OF 100000 ana
besides the fact that novel was hrBt printed
in HdTpoT'S meant that the book sale would
be greater for II would be better advertised
In consequence, we could not oher him 80
much money. Mr.. James did not hesitate.
The thought Of having novel In tho Norfh
American Rerieb, appealing 70 what was
new and exclusive audience, seemed
morn alluring to him, and the contract was
made. There are few men who would have
One oomes TO Mr.. Howells naturally by
way OF Mr.. James.
Is IL not surprising says Col Harvey,
and his tone Il that OF a hero worshipper,
the amount Of work that Mr.. Howells has
turned outi More surprising stih. II Is all
good You cannot take up anything he
has ever written that Is not worth while:
Essays, travel sketches, novels, all touched
with a master hand. He is sixty-seven
and has written thirty-hve books, and
think II is safe 10 say that his latest book
IL as good as any he has ever produced,
of course there are many writer's, men
Of undoubted gei.iUs, who cannot write
except when the inspiration comes. Take
man like Poe for example. cannot
ina CINE his ever having tied himself down
70 certain hours Of work every day; on tbs
other hand, two men Of such diverse tempera-
ments and styles as James and Howells
allow nothing 70 Interfere with their routine.
Every morning they shut themselves In
from intrusion and work steadily. One
would think that Howels would grow
mechanical, but there Is no trace OF the
manufactured article; there L. no less. OF
the delicate, subtle humor which makes
him 80 readable, and tCol. Harvey looked
sadl we have little enough Of that quality
In our writing az present.
Fieldi II Is true that we have Mark Twain,
but even his attitude toward life is at
present very serious, although he could not
help writing humorously at times. think
that perhaps the funniest thing about
Mark Twain now ls not his writing. but his
bed. He lies in bod a good deal; be says
be has formed the habit. His bed is the
largest one ever saw, and on II is the |
weirdest collection Of objects you ever |
saw, enough 10 furnish Harlem hat-books, F,
hing that could ioreRather in his vicinity.
He looks quite happy rising out Of the
mass, and over all prowls a huge black I.
rat Of very unhappy dispos'icn She
maps and snarls and claws ord bites, end 4
We TX Twain takes his turn with the rest
when she gets tired Of tearing up manu. /
script she scrat ches him and he bears Il .
with o patience wonderful 20 behold.
I think Oliver Herford IL about our only
lumorist, and his literary production is,
not large; Dining the other .
II ght at the club. an old gentleman sitting
n one Of the adjoining rooms sent in word
hat he wished Mr.. Herford's party would
" quieter, Rs he could not read. Like
lash. Mr.. HeTford sent bic oOndolen css for
he old gentlemRn's 'inhrmIty'; said he
,on'd reed when ~ wee fhree.
THAT IL a sample 81 his repartee. But
le has little competition; not that there Ia
great call for humorous work, but we don't
Gem 20 be able under present conditions
0 produce II. Perhaps We will later, when,
Ike the people on the other. side, We make
eisure profession in itself'
A question was asked concerning Mrs.
IumphTy Ward
j consider her," saws Col. Harvey, Sthe
reatest woman novelist OF our time There
re many who can write a good psychologist
tory, many story Of incident, dramatic
lot and that, but the combination Il a.
are a. II h interesting Mrs. Ward has
lade a fortune out OF her books, bun the
ortune has been practically made here,
ather than in England, for the people there
o not seem 70 appreciate their own foibles
4 caught and held by that unerTinR pen
lrs. Ward u English OF the English herself,
ut when che depicts the British Philistine,
he British Phthstine simply does not under
land.
Every book che writes has lees Of the
tmosphere Of the library, the shut life, |
nd more humanity in #. Note the differ
nee between Robert Tlsmere' and her
lat work In The Marriage Of VIII
am Ashe she has brought about an I'M
sual climax, naturally, srtistioally Often
he reader appreciates the truth that a
eroine must die, for It Il the only logical
nd artistic conclusion, but no writer that
now has been able 70 make you feel that,
! spite OF sympathy, liking and under
.anding, you could not endure II II the
eroine did not die. That Is an unusual
I uation and Mrs. Ward has handled It
ith genius
you meet many celebrities, many In
,resting people, Mr.. HATvey7'
Not many There are not many TO
leet, You know Frank Stockton wrote a
ook, The Hundredth Man on the theory
lat IN every hundred people there was one
ho stood out from the mass by virtue
bis magnetic qualities. Well'-a pause {
Il think Mr.. Stockton was'-a longer
charitable, very charitable