The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-05-22
Robert Louis stevenson's Letter,


Robert Louis stevenson's Letter,
(Concluded.)
1t is impossible to follow Mr..
Stevenson in detail. l have not the
charm of style which reconciles his
readers to six columns without any
content beyond a variation in terms
of abuse. AS a literary philippe
his letter very justly commands
our admiration. Unfortunately it
happens to be an Infamous libel
as we'll. The name of Stevenson
will give it wide currency, while
denials will be forgotten.
Mr.Stevenson has two grievances
against DIR. Hyde on which he
never wearies of charging. One
Is that the doctor has never visited
Molokai. He forgets that DR.. Hyde
is not an author, and that there
were in his case no motives of liter
airy curiosity to overcome the natu-
raj repugnance which even dis
tinguished authors feel to witness
ing the suferings of their fellow
creatures. The other grievance is
that DR.. Hyde lives in a comfort
able house. He evidently thinks
that the religious are dedicated to
filth and misery in their own per-
sons, and is shocked at the specta-
Gle of Christian minister living in
modest comforts.
This sentiment is perhaps a sur
vival of a strictly orthodox ances-
try and training, and if so is the
only one which Mr.. Stevenson's
long letter has to show. The saw
age intolerance which it displays
would have offended even John
Knox. We mistake. Mr.. Steven
son covers one frailty with a broad
mantle of charity, the frailty of in
confluence. This is a tolerance,
however, which would have COM
mended itself to Knox even less
than the implacably prosecuting
vein in which the letter is other
wise composed. We conclude that
Mr.. Stevenson has inherited the in
of his ancestors; his char
ity is his own.
It would be tedious to follow this
letter further in detail. We have
sufficiently indicated its strength
and it's weakness. As the common
tary on facts which it pretends to
be, it is a thousand times worse
than worthless. AS a piece of the
mental history of Mr.. Robert Louis
it is valuable and sug-
gestive. The inner history of a
man of genius is always interest
ing. When a future biographer
comes to make up his estimate of
his subject, this letter (Which pro-
badly it's author will have long
since used his best efforts to sup
press) must play a part in deter
final judgment. II the bio
grapher is more curious than dis
Greet he will probably tell how
Stevenson, the extravagant ro-
mancer. the worshipper of heroes
and heroic actions, came to these
tropic shores IN search of new liter
airy material; that he thought he
had struck a bonanza in Father
Damien; that he swallowed his dis
gust and went to Molokai in order
to get the environment for his hero.
Then came the wicked Devils adj
vocate and spoiled everything. The
distinguished author flies into
rage, calls names, and denounces
the enemy with as cordial a hatred
as a child's for the doctor who has
him of tooth. Then the
blographer will moraIize the tale.
He will say that an idealist hates
to have his idols shattered; that we
all look on the iconoclast as an
enemy; that authors are more sem
sitive than the rest of us; and that
though Stevenson indisputably be-
haved like an American schoOlboy
when he learns for the first time
that Lanfrey and not John Abbot
has described the real Napoleon,
yet it was natural enough for him
to do so-overwhelmed as he was
with the feeling of q romance
spoiled; that the romance "came to
pass" after all, and that the distin-
goished author repented. forgot and
Forgave even the fine house and
the sblue ribbon
We have not space to comment
On the intolerance, arrogance and
,elf-sufficiency of Mr.. Stevenson's
etter, he writes as ajudge sentenc-
ng criminal As . judge he has
more Of the spirit Of Shylock than
If Portia. He knows nothing OF
he equality OF mercy" One ma
uraily expects from the novelist