The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-12-12

bear good fruit in time.
Mr. WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY, the poet and life
long friend of Robert Louis Stevenson writing in the
"Pall Mall Magazine and reprinted in the n Y.
Chimes Book Review, makes plant that the reading
publcis rather too much inclined to defy Stevenson
on account of his struggles with illness and mis-
work under difficulties and against odds. He thinks
that in putting his friend pedestal because of
these things the tendency is to bette the average
run of mankind who work and say nothing; and per-
chance to fail to give due credit to lesser lights who
daily making like quiet and determined struggle
against adversely. Mr. Henley says
Il. have everywhere read that we must praise
him and always for that, being stricken man.
he would live out his life Are we not all stricken
men, and do we not all do that? And why, because
he wrote better than any one should he have praise
and fame for doing that which many a poor, con-
sumptive seamstress does: cheerfully faithfully,
with eloquent appeals to God, much
paragraph in the evening papers? That man writes
we'll at deaths door is surely for making
him hero for, after ALL there is much virtue in
making shirt. or finishing gross of matchboxes,
in the very act of mortality, there is in polishing
verse, or completing chapter in novel, AS much
[ say; but is there not an immense deal more? In
the case the sufferer does the thing he loves best
in life. In the other, well-who that has not made
Shirts finished matchboxes, shall speak? Steven
son, for all his vocalizings, brave man, with
fne buoyant spirit; and he took the mystery of life
and time and death seemed best to him. But we are
mortals all; and so far have SEEM there are few
Of but strive to keep decent face for the Arch
Discomforter. It is wonder that Stevenson wrote
his best in the shadow of the Shade; for writing his
best very life to him. Why, them all this
crawling establishment this volube admiration? If
it meant anything, it would that we have for
gotten how to lve and that of us are prepared
to die; and that an outrage on the innumerabe
unstoried martyrdoms of humanity"
And this is very true. AS Pppa sang call
service ranks the with God." Every manly
man. who does his duty for duty sake who struggles
along in the game of life trying to live up to his
ideals under all circumstances, not uttering too many
complaints the while; every such man-whether he
be a maker of matchboxes writer of books-s
doing his share of the work and helping humanity.
The pity of it is that all such men are not blessed
with biographers.
Few men so strong they do not need some
encouragement from their fellows at one time or an
other, and encouragement REACHES the spot and
does the work like noble example. Christ evidently
believed this; otherwise he would have dispensed
with the death on the cross. To gain strength by
saying to yourself $50 and so did this thing, and
too do it," is experience almost as common as
breathing Only animal is sufficient unto itself
the pig The life of the little seamstress who lives
and dies gallantly would be of interest to many
people, and would undoubtedly help some the
rough places-if it we're only written But un-
fortunately it is not On the other hand, Steven
sons life is known to most of us, and if we can
derive any benefit from it, learn any lesson from
it, should be humbly thankful for the opportuntg
And if want to discJ Sc II al nome a5ro4d tjesl
is privilege To g rsdH wleEeseredit Is dst
never yet did much har
AS for Mr. Henley tau saei 50 El w1fting na5l
not at times most labor us aola Ia aie i3nd wh
that is simply the opini11 1t oae ooa- Stevenson
letters from San Francisco would lead us to think
otherwise.