each daughter's fate and the suavity of the narrator in relating the sometimes grim details. Although the story wastes little time on local-color description, the entire narrative is imbued with the atmosphere of primitive New England, as personified by the aged Mrs. Rimmle. The domineering widow seems almost as old as the Salem witch trials and brings more than a little of their spirit into the story. In his book-length study of Nathaniel Hawthorne, James noted how adroitly the older novelist used New England's Puritan heritage to deepen and darken his tales. James achieves something of the same effect in "Europe". References The Tales of Henry James by Edward Wagenknecht (New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1984) External links The New York Edition text of "Europe", with the author's preface (1909) Note on the texts of "Europe" at the Library of America web site 1899 short stories Short stories by Henry James Works originally published in Scribner's Magazine