Description:

James, Henry (1843-1916) Henry James writes that he "shall reserve 'wolf' for tragedy, & bring in a baron on purpose. A wolfing baron is grand."

Autograph Letter Signed "Henry James," 3p, 4.5" x 7", front & verso of two conjoined sheets. On "34, De Vere Gardens. W." stationery. Wednesday, no date, but James lived at this address in flat number 13, on the fourth floor, from 1886 to 1898. Light mounting traces on blank fourth page. Fine condition.

To Julian. In full, "My dear Julian. I am equally indebted to the old Etonian & to the new. 'Sneak' will bring down the house - I mean, alas, sell the edition. I shall reserve 'wolf' for tragedy, & bring in a baron on purpose. A wolfing baron is grand. But we must let the baronets of comedy only sneak at most 'shark.' Many thanks all round. Won't you say something quite extraordinarily friendly to Mrs. Seymour for me? Yours ever Henry James"

The Etonian was a monthly literary journal produced by Eton scholars, published between 1821 and 1824. This letter may be to author Julian Hawthorne (1846-1934), son of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was a prolific writer of short stories. Henry James rarely agreed to be interviewed because he did not like publicity, but in 1905, he was interviewed by Julian Hawthorne in Los Angeles. "Sneak" may have been a short story, possibly published in an edition of The Etonian. In 1895, Henry James was raised to the peerage as Baron James of Hereford, in the County of Hereford. Julian may have congratulated James, hence, "Many thanks all round."

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