The Washington times., 1923-02-04


but to the young mans relish Of
life. He writes:
More the fun story Of Steven
sons youth to be written, hin
amorous experiences. especially
those wherein Claire was involved.
would assuredly seem to explain al
least some part Of the disturbances
in the Stevenson household.
And Claire, says Mr.. Heliman.
twas not the only girl who en.
gagged the affections Of Robert
Louis Stevenson during his studen.
days."
ROYALTIES AND ART.
But his amorousness, It appearA
influenced not only his home lie.
but his work. THE story goes.:
according to Mr.. Iellman, who
gives no authority for it-''that
Stevenson once wrote novel
about the life Of . street-walIxer,
and that, while he was lying I'm
Of q hemorrhage, Mrs. Stevenson.
overriding his objections, took II
upon herself to throw into the fire
the manuscript" BY Mr.. Hell.
mans own admission, all this il no
more than a rumor. He at once
goes on. however, to tell US about
Mrs. Stevenson's motives for burn
ing her husbands manuscript.
Art" he observes sagely, 'is
all very well, but royalties have to
be considered. Or" he cOrrectD
himself, 1--WE may ascribe to Mrs.
Stevenson finer motive than the
merely financial one" Anyhow,
she was determined to keep r. L.
8. on his pedestal. MIR. HeIlman's
summing-up Of the whole incident
Of the burnt manuscript is a won
derful example Of the surmise
method of writing biography.
This we surmise,'' he says, re-
ferring to Mrs. Stevenson's love of
the pedestal. accounts for the OBJ
liberation Of his reputed master.
piece.
PRO-BOER LETTER.
ME-. Hellman, incidentally, i'm
plores Sir Sidney Colvin either to
verify or to lay to rest" this story
of the burnt manuscript. Sir Sid
ney has, in the last few days, ''laid
1t to rest" so far as II can be done.
I doubt, however. If Mr.. Hellman
will willingly forego his picture Of
Mrs. Stevenson as e new sort Of
villainess, who committed the
crime Of putting her husband on a
pedestal and insisting that, at all
costs, he must remain q popular
idol. For he has other evidence
besides the burnt manuscript.
There is the pro-Boer letter,
for instance, that Stevenson wrote
after Ma1uba. It was never pub
hshed. Mr.. Hellnan asks. "WhyH"
Then he tells US. ''Unless," he
writes gravely, this letter has
been lost on the files Of some
newspaper, we must regretfully
resort to the conclusion that It
was never sent, and we cannot
free ourselves from the thought
that Stevenson refrained on the
practical advice Of q wife who
felt that political affairs were not
her husbands meter. and that to
accuse Englishmen Of deficiency
in chivalry and honor would
eliminate a great body Of the
authors admirers"
MYTH AND MAN,
Now. every surmise of Mr..
Hellman's may. for all I know,
hit the mark Of truth. But some.
how do not think that, IL
Stevenson is to be knocked off
his pedestal, 1t can be done with
a conjecture or even with a con-
lecture or even with a series of
conjectures. II Mr.. Hellman
would tell US what he really
knows about Stevenson. future
biographers would be infinitely
grateful to him. But what he sur
misses about Stevenson's wife il
not evidence, and I think that
the Stevenson whom his mother,
wife and friends knew was a
more real human being than any
we can construct from the scraps
and runners Of Mr.. Hellman's
article.
After all, sinners may be d.
Vided into two olasses-sinneFS
who have conscience. and sinners
who have none. Stevenson was
a SINNER with a conscience, II he
preached it was not because he
was good enough to preach to
others. but because he was bad
enough to need preaching to him
self. And he was good enough.
at least. to stand On a pedestal
compared to NEST of us.
The Stevenson myth" is safe
as long as men love charity and
courage and good writing. The
mythical Stevenson. indeed. was
the real stevenson. Read hts
books again, and yea will go
this for yourG01A