The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-08
sTNENsoN's IDEAS OF CLOTHES.
"Reminiscences of the Noyelist's Early
Days,
(Eva Blantyre Simpson in New York In
dependent.)


dependent.)
He was worry sensitive to rldlcule,
which made him merciful to the tender
points in the feelings of others. We used
to amalgamate to heckle him on his
shabbiness and peouliarities of dress.
which drew adverse remarks upon him.
With many vehement gestioulations he
would protest they did not arise from
affectation. l verify believe that he stuck
to his long hair, his velveteen jacket,
from the "&ocent of his mind" that abb
horred conventionality and social letters.
One evening the CRIME of the town was
on his white flannel shirt. He was called
on to note how his friends orthodox
starohed linen had withstood the Novem-
Der fog. He appeared ioyously q few
evenings after in r black flannel one.
When it was suggested that be should
mum Der the collars of his new garments
go as to allow the world to know when
he put ono on afresh. the triumphant
light faded from his face and he fell in a
dismayed heap into his corner of the
sofa, burying his face in his slender, in
validy hands, while his long hair fell in
lank locks over them. The black fan
nels turned rusty in the tub and were
shortly abandoned. When the friend whose
voice "rang in the empty vestibules Of
youth On an Islet, - was going to be
married Stevenson had to officiate as
groomsman. He allowed himself to be
led to the tailor's, and had his clothes
ordered for him. Their rigidity terrified
him. He begged for velvet collar to a
frook coat, d gayer waistcoat; but his
tailor, backed by his two companions,
demonstrated: son this occasion yod
must allow me- to use my Judgment; you
can order what eccentricities you like
when you have only yourself to please. :"
This quelled him, but these clothes were
source of childish interest to him. He
dressed at our house, as his people We're
at their cottage under the shadow Of the
Pentlands He felt SO unique III ortho-
dox attire we had difficulty in persuading
him we were not chatting when we did
not laugh when he appeared. just as
we thought he had started, he rushed
back and stood on a chair to see himself
once more in the sideboard mirror, and
with smile of incredulous amusement
he sailed forth, apprehensiyely fearing
came in one Sunday evening saying he
had gone to church with his parents In
these marriage garments. he was
quite chagrined they were SO pleased at
his appearance, and he kept marveling
that what to him was singular garb had
drawn no wondering notice down on his
taIl-hatted head. Another suit of ordi
nary clothes, some one had cajoled him
into buying, cost him an evil quarter
heure They were very light-colored
tweeds, and he wore them one day when
he joined US in London. He called on US
constantly for admiration. and we
fiatGered him nobly, for he was full OF
the guileless, transparent vanity of a
child. Walking up the pathway by Hol-
land house, some smut fell, and Steven
on tled-a light-robed, thin form scud-
ding along the alley-till, breathless. he
stopped and turned terrified look back,
asking. "Haye any blacks fallen on my
a means to ohastise his overweening
pride. We pretended to remove the
offending body from the angelic coat
abused the clumsiness of an assisting
brother for smudging a smut on the
anxious victims shoulder. He walked
by demons of chaff-we rubbed in that
Imaginary smudge, condoling and sug
costing remedies, while Louis tried to see
it himself in plate-glass windows. We
were hard-hearted. His panied, nearly
weeping, expression only urged us on to
further flights OF fancy, till he tore of
his angel coat in the High street, Kens-
ington. Sesing it still immaculate, the
weight of anxiety passed off his face
Then he cast reproachful glance al
las; but with smile in eyes and lips,
said, .petheticaliy, sEh-you two
brutes, to misquots well known au
thor. After deliberating if it were warn
enough to allow him to continue his
walk in his shirt sleeves. he very leisure
ly resumed his coat, and the crowet
which was gathering dispersed.