Thomas Finlayson Henderson

“ While her work reflected the influence of old Celtic paganism, it was chiefly coloured by a rapturous worship of nature and mirrored the insistent vividness and weirdness of dreams.
Meanwhile Sharp, under his own name, found it needful, both for pecuniary reasons and for the preservation of the 'Fiona' mystery, to be as productive as before. Fiction mainly occupied him. Of two volumes of short stories, one, 'The Gypsy Christ,' published in America in 1895, was reissued in 1896 in England as 'Madge o' the Pool,' and the other, 'Ecce Puella,' appeared in London in 1896. ”

“ Smith was a thoughtful preacher, catholic in his sympathies, and of rather advanced opinions for the Free Church of his time, though in the end his influence was felt in broadening its outlook. Two ‘Discourses’ that he published in 1866, advocating more liberal views in regard to Sunday observance than those then prevailing in Scotland, came under the ban of his Presbytery, and he was ‘affectionately admonished’ by the General Assembly in June 1867. In 1876 he was translated to the Free High Church, Edinburgh. ”

“ The first of the books which Sharp wrote under the pseudonym of 'Fiona Macleod' was begun at Phenice Croft in 1893. It appeared in 1894 as 'Pharais: a Romance of the Isles,' and Sharp declared it to have been written 'with the pen dipped in the very ichor of my life.' The 'Fiona' series was continued in 1895 in ' The Mountain Lovers,' 'more elemental still' (1895) , and ’The Sin Eater,' consisting of Celtic tales and myths 'recaptured in dreams ' (1896) . ”

“ In 1889 he returned to Edinburgh to become editor of a weekly paper, the 'Scots Observer,' the headquarters of which were in 1891 removed to London, the title having been changed to the 'National Observer.' Patriotic imperialism, or anti-Gladstonianism, was the dominating note of the paper's politics; but Henley's main purpose was the promotion of what he deemed the higher interests of literature and art. ”

“ Impressionist and emotional, Henley's criticism represents artistic sensibilities that are exceptionally keen. In painting he proposed to ignore any qualities except those strictly pictorial, and sculpture he pronounced to be ‘wholly a matter of form, surface and line.’ His literary sympathies were restricted by peculiarities of temperament, but realist and humorist as well as poet, he was an expert critic of those forms of literature that deal primarily with concrete human nature. ”

“ Andrews Boat Club (Edinburgh) in 1846, the first vice-chairman of the Society for Improving the Condition of the Poor, a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and of the Society of 'Antiquaries of Scotland. Keenly interested in the characteristics of different 'nations and peoples, he spent much of his time in travelling, visiting Russia, Canada, and South Africa. Over six feet five inches in height, he was also of fine athletic build and lithe and active to an advanced age. Owing to his great height he occupied the position of right-hand man in the royal bodyguard of Scottish archers. ”

“ The technical accomplishment attains here its most difficult triumphs. In 1898 the two collections of verse were reprinted in a definitive edition, with omissions, additions and changes under the title 'Poems,' with a photograviure of the author's bust by Rodin. A series of drawings of London types by William Nicholson with picturesque quatorzains by Henley appeared in the same year; and in 1900 he published a small volume of verse entitled 'For England's sake: Verses and Songs in Time of War,' voicing his patriotic fervour during the Boer struggle. ”

“ This led him to conceive a liking for teaching, and in 1857 he accepted the office of tutor in Loretto school, Musselburgh, then merely a preparatory for the English public schools. In the following year he became second master at Merchiston school, Edinburgh, where he took an active part in Rugby football, and did his utmost to foster a love of cricket, introducing an English professional to instruct the boys in the game. ”

“ Gilbert Parker, G. S. Street, G. W. Steevens, R. L. Stevenson, H. G. Wells, and W. B. Yeats. Exacting as an editor, Henley was yet a benevolent autocrat, and stimulated his contributors by his strong literary enthusiasm and blend of friendly correction with generous praise. After retiring from the editorship of the 'National Observer' in 1894 he was until 1898 editor of a monthly magazine, the 'New Review,' which, notwithstanding notable contributions in fiction and essays, was a financial failure. ”

“ On the death of his father in 1855, his mother took him and her youngest daughter to Edinburgh, where, two years afterwards, he entered the university. Although showing no absorbing interent in the work of the classes and acquiring no university distinctions, he was a prominent and clever speaker in the debating societies. ”

“ That the stamina of Loretto boys greatly exceeded the average was manifested, year by year, by the large proportion of them who won athletic distinction at the English universities; but the result was attained by a proper attention to physical health, not an over attention to physical exercise. ”

“ At the end of the session he gained the Cowan gold medal in the Blackstone Latin examination, and he also specially distinguished himself in the Greek, mathematics and logic classes. Having been elected in 1850 to a Snell exhibition, he proceeded to Balliol College, Oxford. Here, contrary to the expectations of his tutors, who had the poorest opinions of his chances, he, in 1853, obtained a first class both in classical and mathematical moderations (a record for Balliol College) ; but, owing to ill-health and other causes, only a second in the final schools. ”

“ He was educated at Botriphinie parish school, Banffshire, and at an early period settled in Aberdeen as stationer and newsagent. An eager student of Scottish history, by strenuous application he taught himself the art of composition, and devoted every spare minute to study and research. ”

“ This was followed by a news brigade and a parcels brigade, with headquarters for the three brigades in the Trongate, called the Industrial Brigade Home; but, from various causes, the brigades were not so successful as he anticipated, and in 1871 he turned his attention to the formation of an orphan home, which was opened in November in Renfrew Lane. In the same year a home for girls was opened in Renfield Street. ”

“ In 1884 he was translated to Hyndland parish church, Glasgow, where he remained till his death on 7 May 1906. In 1878 he married Alice, daughter of Thomas Carlyle of Shawhill, advocate, and left a son, who died in Egypt, and a daughter. ”

“ Henley collaborated with R. L. Stevenson in four plays, ‘Deacon Brodie’ (privately printed in 1880, and in a finished version in 1888) , ‘Beau Austin’ and ‘Admiral Guinea’ (both printed in 1884) , and ‘Macaire’ (in 1885) . A collected edition of the first three plays was published in 1892, and ‘Macaire’ was added in 1894. ‘Deacon Brodie’ was produced at Pullan's Theatre of Varieties, Bradford, on 28 Dec. 1882, and was performed at the Prince's Theatre, London, on 2 July 1884, and in the same year at Edinburgh. ”

“ This was superseded in 1876 by a city orphan home, erected at a cost of 10,000l., the building, which apart from the site cost 7000l., being the gift of two ladies. There about 100 children are resident, the boys being at work at different trades in the city, and the girls being trained in home duties ”

“ Already he had begun to contribute to the London journals, and in 1877-8 he settled in London to become editor of a weekly paper, 'London,' founded by George Glasgow Brown, a friend of Stevenson and himself, in which appeared many of his early poems, several of the essays included in 'Views and Reviews,' and Stevenson's unique 'New Arabian Nights.' On the discontinuance of the paper he did critical work for the 'Athenæum,' the 'St. ”

“ He also published 'The Sport of Chance' (1888) , a sensational story, for the 'People's Friend'; contributed boys' stories to 'Young Folks,' which he edited in 1887; and published 'Romantic Ballads and Poems of Phantasy' (1888; 2nd edit. 1889) , fluently fanciful but lacking in finish, and 'The Children of To-morrow' (1889) , a romantic tale, in which he voiced his impatience of conventionality. ”

“ He contributed a preface to the poetry of Wilfrid Blunt (1895) , and to the collected edition of the poems of T. E. Brown (1900) ; introductory essays to editions of Smollett (1899) , Hazlitt (1902–4) , and Fielding (1903) ; and prefaces to various novels in the American edition de luxe of the works of Charles Dickens. ”

“ German trans, Leipzig, 1905) ; 'From the Hills of Dream,' poems and 'prose rhythms' (Edinb. 1896; new edit. Lond. 1907) ; 'The Laughter of Peterkin,' a Christmas book of Celtic tales for children (1897) ; and 'The Divine Adventure; Iona; By Sundown Shores' (1900) , a series of essays. A Celtic play, by 'Fiona,' 'The House of Usna,' was performed by the Stage Society at the Globe Theatre on 29 April 1900; and after its appearance in the 'National Review' on 1 July was issued in book form in America in 1903. ”

“ In a few months, however, he was apprenticed to a boot and shoe maker, becoming a journeyman at the age of twelve. About his sixteenth year he obtained work in a shop in Argyle St., Glasgow, owned by a Mrs. ”