Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-02
RL.STEvENSON
AS SEEN BY HIS
OLD PUBLISHER

| OLD SD AtOAAAAA
There is moral for Young writer's
! in Mir 5. 5 McClure'S accom-: OF Ste
Henson'S attitude toward his own writ
| ings. He didn't mind being edited.
and even consented to the suppres-
/ sion Of five Whcle chapters of The
! Black Arrow" Like all writer's of
the first rank. he was perfectly ami
! allie about changes and cOndensa-
tiOns." says Mr.. Mcclure in his auto
biography now running in the maya
zine bearing his name. Stevenson. We
are told. was mot Handicapped by the
superstition that his copy was divie
I sEncrCsanc,." Mr.. Mcclure AYERS that
sacrosanct" Mr.. McClue AYERS that
he never knew a really great writer
who cherished his phrases or was
afraid OF losing Few Of them. First
rate men always have plenty more y
SO much is Mr Mcclure impressed
by this attitude of great writer's that
he returns to the subject in another
part of his writing, perhaps betraying
some of the annoyances he has had
to suffer from hitler men. 1t was
Stevenson again who did not mind the
clipping of his phrases:
When Stevenson began 20 send in
his Letters from, the South Seas he
told me TO use my own Judgment about
editing them. and to cut wherever !
though it would be advantageous AZ
ter the series was we'll started in the
syndicate, he wrote and asked me
Why | was not cutting the stuff down
more. / have mentioned this wi''in'
ness to be edited before and I have
said that all of the really first-rate
writer's I have known have been sim
fairly open-minded. I must mention
it again. because, somehow, young
writer's often have the idea that they
are lowering their flag if they con-
sent to any changes in their manu-
script-that there is a mystic power
in a certain order of words My ex-
perience has been-and | think all
other editors have had the same ex-
rerience-that only writer's OF infer
!or talent and meager equipment feel
in that way. To a man of large crea-
tive powers, the idea is the thing,
the decoration of phrase is a very
secondary matter. 1t has no feeling
that, because he has set thing down
one way once, it must stand so for
ever. He can say the same thing in
so different ways. If his story IS loose
and runs thin, he is glad to tighten
it. If it is +congested, and he has
tried to bring out too many points, he
will cut. He can afford to spare a
few ideas; he has plenty. He has no
feeling that he can not cut out this
sentence because he viii never be
able to say that particular thing so
we'll again; he knows he'll say it bet
ter. l mention Stevenson particular
~, because he is acknowledged to
have been an artist in Worcs and to
have achieved a more finished style
than most men, and had a very par
ticular regard, for style in it's high
sense. But he would have oeen very
much ashamed of style that conden-
sation could hurt. He often lamented
that BalZae did not have somebody to
edit and condenes his novels for him."
These South Sea Letters, Mr.. Nc.
Clure recalls, were a disappointment
" SuIIOIS, IOE they IC
vealed side of Stevenson WITH which
the public was as yet no: much &C
quainted." There were two men in
Stevenson, we are told, "the romantic
adventurer of the sixteenth century
and the Scotch Covanter of the nine
teenth century" Going on:
Contrary to our expectation, it
was the moralist and not the roman.
Ger which his observations in the
South Seas awoke in him, and the
public found the moTalis; less interest
ing than the romancer. And yet, in
| all his essays, the moralist was upper
most.
stevenson was the sort or man who
| commanded every kind of affection d:
| admiration for his gifts, delight in his
! personal charm, and respect for his
| uncompromising principles. Under
meath his velvet coat, his ga,ety and
picturesqucnes he was film. 1t was
probably this unusual combination OF
qualities in him that made on eager
| to serve him in every possible way.
| remember saying to Mr.. Phillips
once: John, | want the syndicate
| BUSINESS 10 Oe run eHdrtly as II II
were being conducted for the benefit
of Robert Louis Stevenson And that
was the way | felt about him."
Mr.. McClue reveals a curious att.
tude toward Stevenson held by some
O. his British friends and professed
admirers, particularly W. F. Henley
CT whom some things have already be
! come we'll known:
'BefOle | sailed for London, Ste
Nenson gave me letters to a number
OF his friends theTe-DaXtpr. w. r.
| NJ .