The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-26

a Reporter riad- Him IN ana Tells whss
llc saw nd Heard.

porters. particularly the American variety.
but come op in aud I'll have 60 with you.
| anyhow"
sucn was the greeting with which Robert
| Louis Stevenson received tho announcement
| OF my name and business as we met on the
broad vornndu Of his island homo. far back in
| the hills Of Upou. tho land Of the southern
| cross and tho sacred hen. There was dim
suspicion OF q smile in the depths Of his big
black eyes "a he extended his hand-a long.
thin, cool. pntriclnn hand. which iluttercd fur
moment In the palm OF my large moist nav.
Then he withdrew step. h.tched up his trou-
sers. and eyed me with tho air OF man WHO
could read tho thoughts of another better than
lie could express them himself started IN to
explain that my business was not to mlarspra-
sent or Garblc the statements OF earth's great
SThai's ali light" he saii. laughing. Come
IN aud see what there Il to be seen. aud ass us
| all suIts NJ questions Then run riot with
your prn. aud when the paper comes III read
the article damn till the ait 10 blue, and every
Measured 10y this cheerful view o; tho future
] followed the marvellous man ut letters iut
| the house. where had what I've since tried
10 persuade myseltwus an interview with him.
spent together am Impressed with vague.
uneasy suspicion that he interviewed ne:
words Of an uncomrromlsihH nature. inter-
epersed with beer and anecdot"; While eN.
nit himself on any vital point. lie steered
wide OF politics and all other matters pertain
He sat directly in front OF me. viewing the
ceiling In a retrospective manner, and holding
q homemade cigarette in his right hand. On
table within easy reach stood a can OF to-
bacco. from which he rolled fresh smoke as
sisted simply ot . tighthttinS. Sleeveless
undershirt. cut dtcoIt,tc, aud which set
relieL a pair Of black trousers, rolled NJ
hall way TO the knees. comrirted ~" toilet
His feet were bare. While tnlktng no rested
his right foot across HIS lott knee, IL was
beautifully nrched: and ~ he talked he gently
tOyed among his shapely toes with his olsen
While n0tic,ng these rcculinritics that amt
man who %oulq describe Robert Louis Hirveu-
covered was taking a mean adj GntaGe OF ihs
author 8 hospitality. m
ed stP Prt TSSR n sSd pSe ao2ys s ns
Is gaunt and hagRard. and wears an express
sion OF continual wearlness III TACT. he Is Ill
tured in spite Of his Affections Callers nre
numerous At the big house In the hills. drop
ping in Mt all hours OF the day aud OF all kinds
OF business. but the .novellst Is always ready
20 meet these social obligations.
We talked on various topics. subject to tn'or-
ruptions. some or them of startling nature.
Mr. stevenson was preparing for trim to
moh incident to packing trunks and hng~.
Mrs. Stevenson SAT on the floor NJ one end ot
Manufacture and packing shells In a cigar box
for friend in Honolulu. In tho midst OF IA
graceful conduct OF American men.oi. wars
pen IN foreign waters Mrs stevenson sudden
Say. Louis. have you got a stringp'
Unfortunately. Louis had no strings on him.
but ne a aesr ba 5tePIieSS dun. for one"
With that he posted off up stairs In search Of
Irvine. while his wife adroitly turned tho con-
Sersatl9n Into American newspaper reporter
She dwelt at length on their outrageous
viper Of the press published a storyt0 tho
effect that Mr. stevenson once invited a gentle
brns "a Of no
thing to eat. During this interesting recital
roborsted the tale Of the wicked press repre-.
va s9is way he sS1 sP% H., As that
lished his business. There was no regular
killing day. and unless a person happened to
had. Sir Baden Powell an English. tourist
travelling IN the islands. was invited 70 the
made the rounds minus the explanation. and
to death. But We can stand it" he added with
Mrs. Stevenson. Hnished her packing and
went of to look after her garden and fowls.
leaving Robert Louis to wrestle alone with tho
reporter. He described how he went to work
He arises, at . o'clock in the, morning. eats
brSSkast IS shortly alter and works tn noon At
again and labors diligently I'll 6 O'Clock.
Sometimes be works too hard and nervous
and recreation in sea voyage. generally to
sydney and back. and the journey does him
scription OF the az IN es endured while pausing
In a passage OF fiction, ant turning his burning
word. when a scream from Mrs. stevenson On
the back porch again Interrupted the inter
Samoan seated on the veranda and holding "a
bleeding foot in the air. with tho lady luttey-
Ing about in most distressing state Of aglta-
1t seems she had sent the man. who was her
fhVorite gardener. into the brush to cut down
u couple Of young cinnamon trees. He some
how missed the tree. but managed to locate u
rusty nail with his great too and had returned
his wife imm ediately set to work on the victim
OF chance with tender solicltude. and in the
ages brought my visit to close.
The stevenson household consists Of tho
Osborne and Mrs. Strong. osborne assists
Stevenson in his literary lnbors, "Yailima"
ters." is what the novelist calls his com all
nation Essidence and fiction foundry. It
a home ,'y for The he poet 'n and student 1" Of
nature. In the middle Of green plateau.
house low. ramL iing, two-story structure It
a Gnll dra6 color. and With an iron root
upper one OF which the Pacific Ocean can 10
seen stretching away to the north. AZ tho
OF 5000 feet above the sea Six hundred t-rC
above the level was high enough Tor steven.
son, so he cleared spot in the wilderness, II
palms and tangled wood. where he pitched his
Il mt and lives IN peace,
The house 10 neatly four miles from the
beach, and is accessible only to birds. foot pas
sengeTs, and sute-foOted native horses. Al
provisions and supplies are carried from tho
beach in huge iron pannlers dashed TO the
back OF gigantic white Iercherun horse with
WHISPERS on its feet The animal was import
ed expressly for the purpose for which 1t ~
used One Of the sights Of AIia is to sec
Stevenson 90 shopping by proxy in the person
OF small hanaka leading the pack horse
along the road with its load. The last lap TO
Nailima Is n grass-grown Tath twisting be-
tween two rows OF lime troes iled with their
acid fruit, No sign Of the house appears til
the weary traveller. worn and moist reaches a
red gate hung to wheels overhead. The gate
oil ems upOn a lawn which IL the pride and roy
OF its owner and the wonder OF all beholders.
SO perfect are Its appointments.
nThere are no ornaments except few cul'i-
waited SHRUBS. The lawn itself ia the feature.
being as smooth and even as the he~t-kept
grass plot on Mob Hin. This artistic Landscape
effect Is due to the untirng efforts OF ITO
crusiaceous idrHwUTeTus Hat or land cTa1
OF samoa, one Of which Mr. stevenson has cuI,-
Ual fnT