The Letters of William James, Vol. 1James, William
General
The Letters of William James, Vol. 1
James, William
Intellectuals -- United States; James, William, 1842-1910; Philosophers -- United States; Psychologists -- United States
My wife and I have been here six days. As it was her first visit to
England and she had a lot of clothes to get, having worn out her
American supply in the past year, we thought we had better remain
_incog._ for a week, drinking in London irresponsibly, and letting the
dressmakers have their will with her time. I early asked at your door
whether you were in town and visible, and received a reassuring reply,
so I felt quite safe and devoted myself to showing my wife the sights,
and enjoying her naïf wonder as she drank in Britain's greatness. Four
nights ago at 9:30 P.M. I pointed out to her (as possibly the climax of
greatness) your library windows with one of them open and bright with
the inner light. She said, "Let's ring and see him." My heart palpitated
to do so, but it was late and a hot night, and I was afraid you might be
in tropical costume, safe for the night, and my hesitation lost us. We
came home. It is too, too bad! I wanted much to see you, for though, my
dear Hodgson, our correspondence has languished of late (the effect of
encroaching eld), my sentiments to you-ward (as the apostle would say)
are as lively as ever, and I recognize in you always the friend as well
as the master. Are you likely to come back to London at all? Our plans
didn't exactly lie through Yorkshire, but they are vague and may
possibly be changed. But what I wanted my wife to see was S. H. H. in
his own golden-hued library with the rumor of the cab-stand filling the
air.... But write, you noble old philosopher and dear young man, to
yours always,
WM. JAMES.
_To Dickinson S. Miller._
LONDON, _July 8, 1893_.
DARLING MILLER,--I must still for a while call you darling, in spite of
your Toryism, ecclesiasticism, determinism, and general diabolism, which
will probably result in your ruthlessly destroying me both as a man and
as a philosopher some day. But sufficient unto that day will be its
evil, so let me take advantage of the hours before "black-manhood comes"
and still fondle you for a while upon my knee. And both you and Angell,
being now colleagues and not students, had better stop Mistering or
Professoring me, or I shall retaliate by beginning to "Mr." and "Prof."
you....
What you say of Erdmann, Uphues and the atmosphere of German academic
life generally, is exceedingly interesting. If we can only keep our own
humaner tone in spite of the growing complication of interests! I think
we shall in great measure, for there is nothing here in English academic
circles that corresponds to the German savagery. I do hope we may meet
in Switzerland shortly, and you can then tell me what Erdmann's
greatness consists in....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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