St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-01-31
HAWAII, THE PEARL OF THE
PACIFIC"
The Third of Series of Letters by John
X. MusiCk.
DOWNRIGHT 1896, by Funk & Wagnalls
Company, New York.

The most celebrated hotel and bath
ing place in the islands is Sans Souci,
which is near the famous Diamond
Head. Sans Souci has had for its
guests some of the most famous lit
erary men of the age. Mark Twain
spent good deal Of his time while
on the islands at this place. Jules
Verne and Robert Louis Stevenson
made it their home. The latter, in
writing of this cool retreat, said:
"If any one desires such old-fash-
toned things as lovely scenery, quiet,
pure air, clear sea water, good food,
and heavenly sunsets hung out be-
fore his eyes every evening over the
Pacific and the distant bills OF Waia-
nae, | recommend him cordially to
the Sans Souci."
found several gentlemen at Sans
Souci who had very vivid recollec-
tions of Stevenson. He is described
by all as a small man weighing, per-
haps, less than one hundred pounds,
and an inveterate cigarette smoker.
1t is barely possible that nicotine
poison FASTENED the end of this
strange, mysterious, gifted man.
"He smoked from morning until
night" said the mangager of the
hotel Il am certain he would con-
sumo sixty cigarettes a day. He was
very pleasant, unless irritated, and
then he was like mailman. Those
who disturbed him while writing or
meditating were sure to hear from
him."
Mr.. luminous, city editor of The
Hawaiian Star, said:
II met Mr.. Stevenson while he was
here, and was very strangely i'm
pressed by him from the first. l
learned that he was at Sans Souci,
and went to call upon him. Reach
ing the quiet place, crossed the Ian
ma and entered the house proper. No
one was in sight but a small, ordi.
nary-looking man, who sat at ia
BILE writing.
"Where is the landlord ?" | asked.
"He is out" answered the small
man, and he went on with his writ
ing.
well, perhaps you can answer my
question; came to see Mr.. Steven
SON."
The small man dropped his pen,
arose, and extending his hand, said {:
II am Mr.. Stevenson"
This was my introduction to this
remarkable man.
Then MIR. Timmous told me how
Mr.. Stevenson came to write his ia
nous novel, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr..
Hyde"
"The novel was written on this
island in this town. The DR.. Jekyll
ana Mr.. Hyde live in Honolulu, and
you will perhaps meet him before you
go. That novel was the offspring of a
bitter religious war between Rever-
end Father Dannion and Rev. Dr.
Hyde, d. d., who has charge of the
mission school in this city for the
training of teachers. The contro-
versy between the priest and DR..
Hyde waxed warm, and Mr.. Steven
son espoused the cause Of the Catho-
lie priest. He threw his whole soul
into the conflict, and for while it
seemed as if we were likely to have a
religious war. DR.. Hyde, able, sharp,
and cutting, answered him from the
pulpit and through the press until
the contest became personally bitter.
Mr.. Stevenson had up to the time
of this controversy, it seems, enter
tanned high regard for DR.. Hyde,
but as the wordy war grew bitter,
he fancied he discovered in him a
dual nature. At times he thought
the doctor the very perfection of a
gentleman, a scholar, and a Chris
tian; at others he seemed a very de,
mon. This idea seemed to grow with
his morbid fancy, and he conceived
from it his wonderful novel.
was anxious to meet Dr. Hyde
the man who so strangely inspired
the wonderful novel, and when | did
meet him | was impressed that he
was more Jekyll than Hyde. He is a
tall, hnely-formed, highly cultured
gentleman, with fine scholarly ap
pearance. He is secretary of the
Social Science Club, a meeting o
which had the pleasure Of attend
ing, and at which place | met him
The meeting was at the residenc,
of DR.. Hyde, and although studieC