The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-26

Out the plIgrlmS to avon SeldOm take
that stroll cross country which a
deeper than sentimental curiosity
would prescribe.
But there have been famous writer's
OF another temperament. whose
slightest work takes color from their
Immediate environment or an earlier
n wildly remembered. and Of such
was Stevenson. He is In this respect
X Burns and not like Southey: you
do not know Southey better from visit
ing his birthplace In Bristol. but you
do increase your understanding Of
Burns by seeing the cottage where lie
lived. Stevenson was q wanderer and
had many "homes and haunts'; he had
a keen ms for the character Of
places and a rare power Of recollection,
recreation Of the genius loci. He put
these places into his writings, and the
author has looked chem all up, In
Edinburgh, "the rest Of Scotland"
England. France. "tlle rest Of Europe"
and America.
On Stevenson's first visit to this
country he landed at New York on
Sunday evening. August Is, 1879, an
unheralded, unknown visitor, coming
c cabin on the Devonia, out Of
the Clyde eleven days before. Hts goal
was the West: New York seemed to
have a air Of Liverpool and did not
win him, and he stayed In the city only
one day and night. But short as the
visit was. ii IL not without interest to
the tracer Of literary trails. In "The
Amateur Emigrant" we have this
rarnrI ~ .arzRA.A, - =
greatest American city:
Jones Ia fellow traveller and issued
into West street, sitting on some straw In
the bottom OF an open baggage Wagon. II
rained iniracuiousiy. and from tina. mo-
mont till on the following night I left
New York there was scarce u iull and no
cessation OF the dounpour. . II
TOOK us but a few minutes, though II cost
a good deal OF money. to he ratified along
West street to our destination: Reunion
House. No. 10 West street. one minutes
walk from Castle Garden. the amb
Landings. California steamers and Liver
pool ships; Board and Lodging per day I
dollar. single meals. 80 cents: no charge
for storage or baggage; satisfaction guar
anteed TO all persons. Michael Mitchell.
Proprietor"
Reunion House was. J may 60 the length
OF saying. a humble hosiery. You entered
through a long bar room. thence passed
into n little dining room and thence into u
still smaller &itchen. The furniture Was
OF the plainee,, but the bar was hung IN
the American taste. with encouraging and
hospitable notices.
I suppose we had one of the private
rooms for families at Reunion House. I.
was very small, furnished with a bed.
ii chair and some clothes pegs; aud 4, de-
rived all that Was necessary for the lie OF
the human animal through two borrowed
lights. one looking into the passage and
the second opening. w!thou, sash, into an
other apartment whore three men ntfully
snored. You had 20 pass through
the rain. which still fell thick aud reso-
nnn.. 20 reach n lavatory on the other
side OF the court. There were three basin
stands aud a few crumplod towels and
piece. Of w"' SOAP. white and slippery liz.
ish nor should I forget q looking glass
ana a pair OF questionable combs. . .
Those who arc out Of pocket may go safely
20 Reunio- House. where they viii &c,
decent meals and Hnd an homes: md
ohlig!ng landlord. .
In the spring Of 1895 a friend Of the
authors visited the luxurious hotel in
West street and wrote n magazine ar
ticle about IT,. Eut since then the
building has been demolished. and the
Whitehall building noyv occupies the
site. However. there are still in lower
West street buildings that stood there
at the time of Stevenson's visit: the
nearest il the littl. red brick tenement
adjoining the skyscraper on the north.
That one day %sojourn was given up not
&" sightseeing or exploration. bur calls
at banks. post offices. railway offices,
restaurants, publishers. book sellers,
money chsnges"-so Stevenson re-
cords-"and wherever I went a pool
would gather about my feet. and those
who were careful Of their floors would
look on me with an u%nfriendly eye"
S~tcvenson's second arrival in Amer
lea was in complete contrast 10 this.
1t was in the early fall OF 1857. Again
Re stayed In town only over night, hut
instead Of nightmare wanderinss" no
was now hcsiegcd by reporters. and
as the author of 'Kidnapped."l
Treasure Island and ".Jekyll and
lie went To- Newport, and
after a journey like fairyland for the
most engaging beauties.' "marvelled
why American authors had been 80
unjust tn their country" At this time
Richard Mansfield gave his first per-
in New York Of "Dr. Jekyll
and Mr.. Hyde" hut Stevenson was
able to attend. He never saw a
performance nor Eve a rehearsal OF
any Of the four PLAYS which he wrote
In collaboration with W. T.. Henley.
In October, 1887. Stevenson began
his stay with DIR. Trudeau at Saranac
Lake. Here he wrote "A series ~