The times., 1899-12-03

his solitary life in San Francisco This
last letter is so thoroughly characteristic
that it may be especially well worth quot
ing though the temptation TO quote the
whole book is rather disJracting
COS Bush Street, san Francisco,
January 10, 1850.
Ny Dear Colvin-This is circular letter, to
tell my estate fully. You have no right TO 10,
being the worst OF correspondents; but 1 wish
90 etacc the impression OF my last, so 10 you
il goes.
Any time between and half past in the
morning, a slender gentleman IN an ulster, with
a volume hutioned into yhe breast oI II, may be
obs. Tygd leaving No. Cos Bush and descend
ing Powell, with an active step the gentle
man is b. l. 5: the volume relates 10 ben
. 1Hlalu Franklin, ON whom he medli3tcs one 81
his charming es-ayS. lie dg~cgHds Powell,
crosses Market, and dcscunds 10 sixth, On
branch of thc orig nal PINE Street CoIyc House,
uo less, ] believe hg would be capable ol 60
. ing 10 the original itself, If he could .nly
find it, ln the branch he seats himself al q
. table covered with NaNcluth- and a pampeFed
monal OF High Dutch extraction, and IN
deed. rs vet only partially extracted, lays before
him a cup OF coffee roll, and pat Of
butter, an, TO quote the deity. very good.
a while ago. and r. L. :. used TO find the
supply of butter insufficient, but he has now
+ learned the art cNactitBde and butter and
roll expire at the same moment. For this re-
fecti0n be pays ten cents, OF tivcpence STERLING.
Halt an hour later, the inhabitants OF Bush
Street observe die same slender gentleman drmcd
like George Washington, with his little hatchet,
Z
he docs tins quasi-publicly upon the window slili
but this is not TO be attributed TO any love Of
nCtCrlcJy. though he is indeed vain Of his
prowess with the hatchei (which he persists in
calling an AK, and daily surprised at the
peTpeuaton OF his fingers The reason Is this
that the sill Is a strong, supporting beam, and
that blows of the same emphasis IN other parts
on the room might knock the entire >I.anty into
. hell. ThcnC5forth. for from three 10 four hours.
he is engaged darily with an ink bottle. Yet
he is not blackiHg his boots. Tor the only PAIR
hos Hrga gun Of hist md
wear the natural hue OF the material turned up
with csked and venerable slush. The youngest
child OF his landlady remarks several times
day, this strange occupant enters and quits
( the house: "Deres de author" Can il be
that this brigit-haired innocent has found the
tue cIew 10 the mystery? The being in
question is al least, poor enough to belong
10 that honorable craft
lis next appearance is at the restaurant of
+ one Donadieu, IN Bush Street, between Dupont
and Kcarney, where a Copious meal, hall
bottle Of wine, coffee and brandy may be pro.
cured for The OF four bits, alias 50 cents The
wine is put down in whole botteful, and IT IS
strange and painful 10 observe the greed with
which the gentleman in question seeks TO Sc.
cure the last drop OF his allotted half, and the
scruFulc ness with which he seeks TO avoid
taking tne first drop OF the other This is
partly explained by the fact that if he were
/ 10 60 over the mark-bang would 90 SIX
pence
Later he reduced his daily expenses by
taking a twenty-five-cent dinner instead of
ghe ffty-cent one; and little later he had
his first dangerous illness since childhood,
10 which he dryly refers as a gambling
bout with hades. warning his correspond
eIt not 10 allow his children TO get into
the habit of that sort of gaming, as it is
habit more fatal than opium.
Not long after this his marriage took
place, and then began the long, heroic
struggle with death, which he describes as
an alienation of two months of imperfect
The second volume viii doubtless prove
more interesting to most readers than the
first as it contains many letters 70 men
well known in the world of books, and also
many episodes Of his life in Samoa The
( letters in this volume also describe the
winter which he spent in the Adirondacks,
+ which seem TO have reminded him foTcibly
I Of the Scottish Highlands
One of the letters written from Bourne
mouth has an especial interest, in view of
I the fact that ii is a revelation Of one side
. Of Stevenson's character which does not
I appear obviously in his books. His strong
/ sense of justice and sympathetic nature
/ led him to think seriously at one time Of
! risking both life and health by going TO
/ live in Ireland and there protesting against
certain agrarian outrages Had he done
/ so he would have stood a fair chance of
+ dying Of quick consumption If he did not
meet with a violent death at the hands of
/ indignant Irishmen; and the thing would
! have been undertaken purely as a matter
Of principle for he had no personal or pc
! cuniary interest in the matter whatever.
4 IN this letter, written 10 a personal friend,
/ he reasons out the whole situation quite
/ calmly. He explains that his work can be
/ done anywhere, so that he is in a way free
] to 20 TO the Irish farm in question; that
/ being in some sort a public man, it would
attract attention If he should be killed;
/ that his death would probably make some
thing Of a sensation in the United States,
/ whence the funds came which paid for the
! agraTian outrages; that nobody else seem
! ed inclined 10 take up what he saw to be
! duty: and finally, that his health vas
broken at best, and his life of less Use TO
4 him than II he were a well man. All this
1 IS to say the least, a course Of reasoning
/ somewhat unique. He then takes up the
objections TO the plan; that the move
1 would do no good; that the objects of this
I sacrifice are uninterestingi that his wife
would not like it. and so on and these
/ things he discusses as cOOlly as the others.
But the plan was never carried out, prob
/ ably oa account Of the precarious condition
1 Of Stevenson's health and the letters re-
/ garding il remain an interesting record of
I a psychological process, which, under diff
4 ferent circumstances, would undoubtedly
have led TO martyTdom for the sake of pure
. principle.
The same spirit appears IN his dealings
with the Samoans. Most students OF cur
rent events know OF his struggle in their
( behalf against representatives Of European
/ powers The record of these years of his
! life IS rather more complete than that Of
I previous periods, by reason of the seclu-
sion and quiet which enabled him 10 write
long letters to many of his friends His
health was much improved during a part
Of his sojouru in Samoa, and the playful
ness which was one Of his most charming
characteristics appears often, In this part of
l the book. His letter 10 a certain little girl
4 In Vermont has been more or less quoted
already. but il viii bear a second reading
The little lass was the daughter of the
4 American Land Commissioner of Samoa
and having been born on Christmas Day,
/ regarded herself as defrauded Of the right
to a private birthday This came TO Steven
sons knowledge, and he promptly offered
1 her the use of his. This is the letter re-
ceiyed by her father and forwarded to his
. home In the United States, where his fami-
~ then was:
J. Robert Louis Stevenson, Advocate Of the
Scots Bar, author Of ''The Master Uf Bslian-
/ trae" and "B!oral Embcms," stuck civil engi-
neer. sole owner and psteutcc Of the Palace and
Z Plantation known Nsilma, in the island Of
Upola, Samoa, q British Subject, being in sound
mind and pretty well, thank you, IN body:
In consideration that Miss Annie II. lde,
daughter Of II. G. Ide II the town OF Il. Johns.
Of Vermont, United States Of America was born,
out Of all reason, upon Christmas DAY, and is
therefore out Of al justice, denied the coHSola-
tiou and profit OF 3 proper birthday.
And considering that l. the said Robert Louis
! Stevenson, have attained an age TAen, O. We
I never mention it. and that have now no fur