I earnestly feel like that's our modern language coloring our reading of it. The heart throbs blood. I have a lot of brotherly heartfelt love for friends without it being sexual.

> I earnestly feel like that's our modern language coloring our reading of it.

You are reading modern language. Sexual identity was already a thing at this point in history and had been for several decades.

We know that it's not just our modern language coloring our reading of it because Henry James's family wanted these passages removed from the published versions of the letters, precisely because they didn't want them to be 'misconstrued' as expressions of sexuality. The first volume of letters referred to in this article was published in 1920.

Retro Streisand effect in action.

It's always important to be earnest...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVQIB-QuooU

Amazing how your comment is voted down. Here in a discussion about queer erasure.