The Coxon Fund

"The Coxton Fund" is a 1894 short story by Henry James.

Plot summary

Mrs Saltram is staying with the Mulvilles. The narrator talks to Mrs Gravener about it - Saltram's wife has left him; the Mulvilles have paid for his debts.

Four years later, Saltram is a lecturer. He doesn't come to one lecture he is supposed to give; the narrator talks to an American girl, Mrs Anvoy, who is there in vain and tells her to go to the next one because it really is worth it. Later, Mrs Saltram comes by to see her husband; she is the one taking care of her husband's earnings. They talk about the grief his publishers are giving him over specific titles he doesn't like.

The narrator leaves England; Mrs Anvoy gets engaged to Mr Gravener. Mrs Saltram asks the narrator about Mr Gravener - he tells her to read the newspapers. The wedding is shortly called off due to Lady Coxon's illness. Meanwhile, Mrs Anvoy's father has lost all his money - Mr Gravener will join her in New York. However, he doesn't. On the train to London, the narrator and Mr Gravener converse - Lady Coxon's late husband has left her an Endowment of Research, the Coxon Fund, which she must pass on to someone financially hampered in their search for 'Moral Truth'. She solely lives on the interest. In the wake of Mrs Anvoy's father's bankruptcy, the widow suggests giving it to her. The latter, however, professes she will only accept it if she can find someone else who is worthy of it; she won't use it for her marriage. After her father's death which came soon after his financial doldrums, she returns to England to get married.

Adelaide says Mrs Anvoy wants to see him. As it is, she has the money but she will not use it to buy a house with Mr Gravener; she pities him for wanting her to do that. When she suggests giving it to Saltram, the narrator talks her out of it. The same narrator is given a sealed letter. He then receives a visit from Mr Gravener; if Mrs Anvoy opens the revelatory letter, he must marry her - he refuses. Upon finding out what happened, Mrs Anvoy tells him not to hand her the letter. He eventually burns it after Saltram's death.

Characters

*Mr Frank Saltram, a debt-ridden writer
*Adelaine and Kent Mulville
*Mr George Gravener
*Mrs Saltram
*Miss Ruth Anvoy, a girl from Boston.
*Lady Coxon, an American widow. She is Miss Anvoy's aunt.
*Sir Gregory Coxon, Lady Coxon's late husband and former mayor of Clockborough.
*The Pudneys
*Lady Maddock

References to other works

*George Gravener is compared to Aristophanes.
*George Sand is referred to as "Madame Sand".
*William Shakespeare's "King Lear"

External links

* [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext98/coxon10.txt Full text]