JAMES HENRY: (1843-1916) American-born British author. A.L.S., Henry James, six pages, 8vo, Pall Mall, London, 13^th November 1911, to Doctor [Joseph] Collins, on the blind embossed stationery of The Athenaeum. James announces 'Your most kind note from the ship does me a world of good, & your guarantee of my appearance of being so well contributes immensely to establish the reality - is in fact quite life-giving' and continues 'The great thing is that I have made so much my own way to it - giving me the sense that I can therefore myself work out what remains (for there still remains something) of the job. And I have a faint hope & faith that I shall see you here again…..I liked so your presence & our talk of the other evening, with things so many, into which I should have liked to go with you deeper. But that will come'. In a two page postscript, signed ('H.J.') by James with his initials, the author informs Collins 'I shall have to send this to the Joneses to pass on to you - it's an illustration of the way that so many American impressions & facts (local & national) fade away & dissolve (from the "European mind") that I have managed to forget all the numerals in both your addresses - so colourless are American addresses "anyway"! I have yours inscribed, but my little book is not at hand'. VG

 

During an extended visit to the United States in 1910 & 1911, James had sought the advice of physician Joseph Collins for methods of losing weight and also the treatment of his 'evil times' (what would now probably diagnosed as depression) following the death of his brother, William.