April 15, 1843

Henry James, describing his country solitude in his adopted England, says in a letter "It is only that in my situation...there isn't a cat(but only my dear little yellow dog) to speak to; which counts at times as a positive element of bliss." This quote is in a letter to Grace Norton, and dates from the early 20th century. I include it here as an example of the more open prose of James' later years. He was born on April 15, 1843, and died February 28, 1916.