Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-13
FACTS ABOUT STEVENSON.

Editor Sunday letin:-Saturday
edition of the Advertiser contains an
address by Mrs. Mabel Wing Castle
at the Y. NJ. c. A., principally dealing
with Father Damien, Robert Louis
Stevenson and DIR. Hyde. all deceased.
In this address Mrs. Castle is actual.
ed by, to her. noble motive of rescuing
Mr.. Hyde's memory from the con.
tumely cast upon II by Stevenson s
truthful and scathing literary satire.
To accomplish her object she seeks,
first to prove that Mr.. Hyde's letter to
DR.. Gauge was not intended for the
public.
Secondly, that Mr.. Stevenson's let.
ter to DR.. Hyde lacked literary ability,
and that II also lacked knowledge, fair
ness and logic as to facts.
Thirdly. that in Stevenson's later
years, he regretted ever having writ
ten that letter. as according to Mrs.
Castle, Mr.. Stevenson learned as the
years rolled on the nobility of Mr..
Hyde's character, and the utter lack
Of 1t in Father Damien.
To the ordinary reader the reopen.
ing OF this bitter controversy will pos.
sess little interest. but to some of us
who remember the time, the incidents
and persons connected with this tragic
episode, 1t brings up very forcibly to
our mind the knightly chivalry OF
Stevenson in taking up arms in de.
Tense of the leper Priest of Molokai.
The question also occurs to us, to
what end is this matter being reopen,
cd, seeing that an impartial public
opinion has rendered a verdict that
cannot be changed one iota. and that
has placed the martyr Priest of Molo'
kai as one OF the worlds noblest
heroes in the hearts of all honest
right-thinking men.
1t might also be asked why wait un
til all the actors in this drama are
passed away? Unfair criticisms oil
their motives and actions can have nc
standing before the bar of public opin
ion. now that the principals are gone
The contention that the Hyde letter
was private is not borne out by any
thing connected with II. The wording
of the letter, the tone of II, the state
ments made, and the way they were
made all go to prove that the letter
was for public use. Was DR.. Hyde q
friendly correspondent Of Dr. Gauges
And was the letter not written in an
swer to queries put to DR.. Hyde by DIR
Gauge? Any how this seems a pool
method to eXonerate DR.. Hyde, for nc
honorable man will accuse a fellow
being of crimes in private. that he II
not willing to substantiate in public.
II Is said that Stevenson's "Melo
dramatic" letter lacks literary ability
This Is something new. The write
| wac VI 'hS opihiOH 'hat' 40 u i'hui
able piece of composition, that lette
had no equal. that it ranks with Stew
enson's other writings, that too Is tn,
opinion of every one the writer eve
heard discussing 1t, and that being 50
Il surely will go down the halls of tim,
until they open to eternity. AS to thu
letter being without logic, fairness o.
knowledge, this language is really TOT
romantic, for this very practical age
AS to the knowledge part did not Stew
enson reside in Honolulu for quite
while, and while In Honolulu, did h,
get thorough knowledge of DR.. Hyde
they having visited each other. Thel
he visited Molokai and met and spok
to Father Damien. For man of Stew
ensoh-s intellectual powers, was thi
not sufficient knowledge? AS to fair
ness, the charge is too absurd. TIL
world knows. The nobility and fail
ness OF Stevensons soul.
In regard to the statement that Stew
enson regretted his action in writinl
that letter, there is absolutely no proc
before us. On the contrary the man
actions during the latter years of hi
life show us conclusively that the me
tives which actuated him in writinI
that letter made an impression on hin
that he carried with him to the grave
We can very readily believe that h
regretted being compelled to score Dr.
Hyde, as he did, but that he ever reg
retted taking up his pen in defense o
the almost defenseless priest of Molc
kai, is casting an odium ON the mem
DRY OF Stevenson, that the world will
not heed.
p j. A. II.
nril 10 1QOO