The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-02-29
JAMES DIES
N english HOME
His Literary Career Was
Unique-Wrote About
1OOsBoOks.
LONDON, Feb. 29.-Henry James.
the novelist; died today.

Henry James was born an RAmert-
can. but died British subject. In
July. 1915, he took the oath$of EaLegt-
ance to the Crown, explaining that
he had lived and worked tnlEngland
for forty years and had'developed such
an attachment for the country and
sympathy with its people that e de.
sirer to throw his moral weight ana
personal allegiance into efBrttish
cause in the European war:
The distinguished novelist, critic and
PLAYWRIGHT was born in New York,
Anrti is. 1S43. His father, Henry
James, Sir, was noted as a. writer
on ethics and religion; and his young
er brother. William, was later to be-
come distinguished as q psychologist.
The family was possessed OF an am.
ME fortune, the foundation of which
was laid by the novelist's grandfather,
OF Scotch.frish decent, who migrated
from Ulster soon after the revolution
AIRY war and became a successful mer
chant. at Albany, N. Y.
The education of the future novel
list was altogether out OF the ordinary.
One of its early features included
course at a small institution on Broad
way, where c%olloquial French was sup"
posed to be acquired in perfection, ana
OF which the pupils were largely CUP
ans and Mexicans. At other private
schools, the young Henry James q
his brother specialized In various stud
les Of their early youth, and When the
family went to Europe their school
ing was continued under nomadlc on
ditfons. In Swiss and French day
- 90 - r.fkI. ENn01{oh NriVpta tint
ors. One year also was divided be.
tween the University of Geneva and
the University OF Bonn, after which
James returned to New York, and in
1862 entered the Harvard Law School,
although there is no indication that
law was with him ever a serious pur-
pose. It was, in fact, early In his stud
les at Harvard that he began to con-
tribute sketches to the magazines and
began a literary career that produced
close to a hundred novels and tales.
altogether with critical essays and
some play writing.
Mr.. James work was never as pop
lular in America as 1t was In England,
but he had many admirers In his ma
tive country and even his critics rank:
ed him as one of the most mastertul
writers of the past generation. HIS
writings were of the analytical and
metaphysical school OF noyeltsts and
the full understanding of his work was
a matter OF endless controversy. TO
understand Henry James, was, in the
popular view, the gift OF only a prtV1-
legged few.
The fact that Mr.. James was always
independent or the need Of catering
a. ~ - kLa -t,k1i4 uIarfnH cInFnU hfG
fortune was sufficient, enabled him to
adhere religiously to his own prtnci-
pies OF romance regardless OF how
popular they might be. N~otwithstand-
ing this Indifference he had, parttcu-
larry among the English people, a host
of readers, who virtually formed a cult
known as tho Jamesites.
one Characteristic of Mr.. James
novels is, that they often closed abrupt
", leaving the reader In doubt CON
corning the subsequent fate.ot the &C
tors In the story, where other authors
would invent a denouement. Furth-
er he bodily attacked visions which to
the common eye were past seeing, and
in thus Attempting what other writ
ers deemed as the impossible in lit
erary art, developed Intellectual
mazes and verbal labyrinths that were
too deep for the ordinary reader. It.
appeared to be Mr.. James belief that
the story that could be told was not
worth the telling, and, 1t was his
choice, as one of his critics declares,
ito vigorously set himself to tell the
story that cannot be told" The con-
troyersyywas as to whether he was sue
cessful. He commended that 1t was OF
more interest to the author to paint
the various aimless ways in which hui
man beings r actually thrown to.
gether than to construct an artificial
complication of circumstances, and he
was Indifferent as to whether a com.
edy was spoiled. or whether a trag-
edy broke down before the tragic
crisis. {
Mi. James Is said to have originated
the international novel. His scenes for
stories were laid in Europe and Amer
lea, and, as the title shows, they Gov.
cred a wide range of life. In order
Of their appearance, N Of his more
notable books were: Watch & Ward"
Frederick Hudson "The American"
"The European Daisy Miller" 'tThe
Madonna OF the Future" can Interna-
tfonal. Episode, washington Square,"
1.-THE Portrait of a Lady" THE Siege
of London" Tales OF Three Cities"
1.-THE B~ostonians," "The Reverbera.
tor" IA London Life" 1.-THE Tragic
Muse "The Lesson Of the Master"
1.-THE Private Life" 1.-THE Spells OF
What Maisie Knew, 1.-THE
Two Magics," "In the Cage" "The.
Awkward Age" "HThe Soft Side,"
"The Sacred SFount," and the wings
Of the Dove
In addition Mr.. James wrote a num-.
Der Of books in French which we're
praised by French critics as an exam:
pie OF most selegantFuse of French Ian
guage. MI. James, work as an essay
list also attracted much favorable crit.
icism, particularly his work on French
Poets and Novelists.' AS a playwright,
he also gained some fame in his later
life, one Of the most recent OF his
dramas being i'The High Bid" In
which Forbes Robertson appeared in
London
In the New Year honors, which
King George conferred in January
1916, Mr.James was awarded the Or
der OF Merit. The novelist had been
from the frs; a staunch supporter OF.
4baInr{f{uh nauan IN n a TurnnannIwRr