Evening journal., 1894-12-24
Robert Loula stevenson

AT the height OF his litersry fans this
talented author has been removed from
the trials OF life. At q comparatively
early age Mr.. Stevenson has gone to join
the great majority. From early youth
he was instinctively devoted to literature
ard could do nothing else His father
attempted to educate him for his own
profession of engineering, ard then to
make lawyer of him, but It was impos
sible to do anything with him In these
directions His tastes we're directed TO
literature, and be began By taking ex-
traordinary pains with his work. writing
it over aud over again, and bestowing
upon the STYLE an amount Of effort that
gave his compositions distinction from
the first He made himself an incom-
parable prose essaylst. and won dlstinc
tion by bis descriptive and poeticAl style
before he became known as story
writer. It wss by this means that he
frat gained hearing. His passion
was for descriptive and narrative work,
and all his books are Of this order
Asa writer Of fiction Mr. Stevenson's $
works are remarkable chiefly for their
narrative portions. aud for the weird and
strange power which he invested his
favorite characters with. His stories
are rather intense, strong and weird
romances than delineations Of life as we
know It. BE never mingled greatly with
men, and was limited In his experience
of life. This was greatly due to his con-
tinued Ill health, which made his life for
the most part hght for existence.
Though bis mind seemed absorbed by
morbid tendencies he was one Of the
healthiest Of writer's fluent and fastldi-
GUS in style. To the world at large he is
best known by bis story Of "Dr. Jekyll
and Mr.. Hyde. which is not, however,
the greatest or most characteristic Of his
books.
George Moore described MIR Stevenson
In his younger days as "a consumptive
youth, weaving garlands OF sad flowers
with pale. weak hands, or leaning to 6
large plate glass window and scratching
thereon exquisite profles with diamond
pencil. His periods are fresl
and bright, rhythmical In sound, ant
perfect realIzations Of their zense. II
reading you often think that never be-
fore was such dehniteness united to sucl
poetry OF expression. Every page ans
every sentence rings Of its individuality.
Mr. Stevenson's style was laboriousl!
sought out, as be himself has told us Il
his youth, ard It Is as peculiar as 1t 1
fascinating. 1T Is. said q writer 0
ability, "a compounding Of many simples
There are echoes Of the stately aud quain
sentences OF Sir Thomas Browne; there /
the gorgeousnsas as well as the homel
bluntness Of the Elizabsthans; there
the shrewd and delightful diseursiyenes
Of Montague; there Is the 0lymplan care
lessness Of the elder Dumas; Defoe an
Poe talk together; but it is stevenso
that edits all this copy and sends it fort
stamped with the stamp Of his II
divIduAlity. No young man can rea
these essays without finding bracin
encouragement for a clean ard actlv
life"
To those who are nearly through wit
the cares, the vexations, the joys an
the sorrows Of the world, these essa,
are q summing up OF the whole matter,
well as an inspiration and comfort
awaiting patiently and hopefully the II
eyitsble end. And IS bis books a
generous and pure and brave SO was q
man himself. who at last found perie
health on the far of Isle in the Soul
sea.