Such skill shows a mastery of language rarely
surpassed in fiction. At his best, James has a fineness and sureness of
touch, and a command of perfectly fitting words, as well as elegance and
grace in style.
MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN, 1862-
[Illustration: MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN]
Mary Eleanor Wilkins (Mrs. Freeman), known for her realistic stories of the
provincial New Englander, was born in Randolph, Massachusetts. With humor
to see the little eccentricities of the people among whom she lived and a
sympathetic understanding of their heroic qualities, she has created real
men and women,--farmers, school teachers, prim spinsters, clergymen, stern
Roman matrons,--all unmistakable types of New England village life. Her
unfailing ability to transplant the reader into rock-ribbed, snow-clad New
England, with its many fond associations for most Americans, is proof of
her power as an artist. Her art is subtle, and it commands both attention
and admiration, as she reveals every slight move in a simple plot and with
extraordinary deftness of touch brings out the most delicate shadings that
differentiate her characters.
Her style is easy and clear, and is pervaded by a fine sense of humor.
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