THE SLANDERS ON ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

366 [STEVENSON (ROBERT LOUIS).] A MOST INTERESTING COLLECTION of A. L. s. and Documents relating to the self-styled son of Stevenson; to the attempts to rake up unpleasant details of his earlier years; and to slanders against his old nurse Alison ("Cummie") Cunningham. Comprising 4 A. L. s. from William Fowler, Registrar of Selkirk and an ardent Stevensonian, to Sidney Colvin, with autograph signed copies of two letters written by Mr. Fowler, one to W. T. Spencer about "Cummie," and one to J. A. Steuart, the novelist and author of a recent "Life" of Stevenson; also A. L. s. from J. A. Steuart to Sidney Colvin, about the "Life" and criticism directed against it. Together 19 pp., 16mo to folio. Selkirk and Edinburgh, Oct. 1923 to April 1925. Also envelope addressed to Colvin and endorsed in his autograph, "Letters relating to Steuart as scandalmonger." With an exact copy made by Mr. Fowler and in his autograph of Stevenson's Will, as filed in Edinburgh April 4, 1895, enclosed in an envelope endorsed by Colvin. Together, with the envelopes, 10 pieces.

A few extracts will illustrate the range and interest of this collection, and its bearing on the attempts to cloud Stevenson's reputation by digging up details of days when, as he acknowledged to his cousin Alan Mowbray ("Bob") Stevenson, it was difficult for him to resist temptation. He was not alone in his weaknesses, though he was alone, in his own field, in his genius; and the personality and gifts which captured the world might well blot out any early errors of passion.

"I had a call from John A. Steuart the novelist some weeks ago. He is preparing another 'Life' of Stevenson & from his remarks & the fact that he is in communication with Hellman I gathered that the mud of Stevensons early days is to be raked up again. Of course I showed him that I was not in sympathy with him. He was a friend of Henley, as he told me, & thinks I take the 'Seraph in chocolate' view of Stevenson . . . "

"When in Edinburgh on Saturday, and, later on in the day, at Swanston I gained certain information about the man who claims to be a son of R. L. S. More than that I actually saw the man himself at Swanston . . . Well, it seems he was born at Alloa on 5th October 1879, and is the son of Margaret Stevenson, a sister or cousin (the relationship seems to be uncertain) of the well known artist brothers Stevenson, one of whom, the sculptor, has a statue of R. L. S. in the Glasgow Corporation Art Galleries . . . The claimant is an artist by profession . . . He is not unlike R. L. S. in appearance but is stouter & not so tall. Of course he has got himself up to resemble the man with whom he claims kinship, having a moustache & imperial & wearing his hair long . . . I am told he avers that R. L. S. and Mrs. Osbourne were never married . . . "

The note to W. T. Spencer, author of "Forty Years in my Bookshop," objects to his statement that Alison Cunningham, the nurse, had given a certain brooch "to her son, a soldier in the Life Guards." "Cummie" was never married, and Mr. Fowler, as an old friend of hers, gives full and convincing details to refute the slander that she ever had an illegitimate son.

The whole correspondence will be of the greatest interest to Stevensonians, and the transcript of the Will is also very interesting.

COPIES OF UNPUBLISHED LETTERS BY STEVENSON

363A STEVENSON (ROBERT LOUIS). A Collection of 75 typed copies of
Letters from Robert Louis Stevenson to Sidney Colvin, with corrections
of the typing by Colvin. Written on 4to sheets.

The letters of which these are copies were written to Colvin between the years 1873 and 1888. Only one has been published in Colvin's "Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson." In them Stevenson mentions several of his writings: "Ordered South"; "An Inland Voyage"; "Moral Emblems"; "A Child's Garden of Verses"; "Deacon Brodie," etc. Written as they are, in a delightfully easy and free fashion, we discover Stevenson in a variety of moods: Morbid; "A cheery gibberish fool"; "Not mad, most noble Festus, only gibberous"; wants a holiday; Ill; Feeling that he can do no more work; Better, and so on.

APPARENTLY THESE LETTERS ARE UNPUBLISHED, and we have been able to trace the original of
only one of them, which was No. 178 in the Colgate Collection.

LOCK OF STEVENSON'S HAIR

364 STEVENSON (ROBERT LOUIS). Small lock of R. L. S.'s hair, enclosed in a piece of folded paper, endorsed: "R. L. S.'s hair—Decr. 3d. 1894. Samoa." This was the day of Stevenson's death. The paper is in the original envelope addressed to Mrs. Sitwell, but the stamp has been cut off and only the London postmark on the back remains; the envelope is endorsed "Louis's hair enclosed Feb: 1 1895"—the date of receipt—and in pencil, "(after Louis' death)".

This lock was cut as a precious memorial on the evening of Dec. 3, 1894: Louis died at ten minutes past eight, and was buried the next day on the summit of Vaea.

385 [STEVENSON (ROBERT LOUIS).] The Robert Louis Stevenson Club: Menu of the Fifth Annual Commemorative Dinner, Edinburgh, Nov. 13, 1924—the anniversary of R. L. S.'s birthday. 4 pp., small 4to, with reproduction of original drawing on first page or cover; on page 3 is

Copy

Toppsfield

Selkirk, 23 October 1923

Dear Sir

Please excuse me writing to you, but my attention has
been drawn (by a friend who has lent the book to me) to a ref-
erence in your "Forty Years in my Bookshop" to my old friend
Alison Cunningham. At page 169 you write, referring to a brooch,
that "unfortunately she had given it to her son, a soldier in the
"Life Guards." I was amazed to read that statement, for of
course Alison Cunningham was unmarried and during the last 14
years of her long life, when I knew her, there was never a whis-
per of what is implied in your sentence from herself or her other
friends. May I suggest that you have mixed up Stevenson's first
& second nurses? Alison Cunningham was not, as you have it,
his first nurse but his second, his first being a Mrs Judkins.
It was after her dismissal that "Cunny" came into the family,
when R.L.S. was 18 months old. I make this suggestion, because
in Mr Williamson's privately printed Stevenson Catalogue there
is at the end of the book a picture of a brooch such as you
describe as belonging to Alison Cunningham, but which actually
belonged to Mrs Judkins. The little curls of hair in it were
taken from the head of R.L.S. when he was about 14 months old,
& before Alison Cunningham entered the household. The age you
give is two & a half years. Another reason which makes me sus-
pect you have mixed up the two nurses is the statement that
"she possessed nothing else relating to Stevenson" except the
brooch. That is nonsense as far as Alison Cunningham is con-
cerned, for to the end of her life she had about her various
Stevenson relics, which, after her death, were bought by Lord
Guthrie and are now in the Guthrie Stevenson collection in Ed-
inburgh. Lord Guthrie told me the reason she sold the presenta-
tion volumes, but it was a different reason from the one you
give. Curiously enough I was speaking to an Edinburgh bookseller
last Saturday night who said he was in your shop when "Cunny's"
books were brought in to be sold. Haxton is his name. "Cunny"
told me she received 430 for the books. You will know whether
this is true or not. By the way, did Mr Thos.J. Wise not buy
some of these books? He told me so.

I hope to hear from you that the (no doubt unintentional)
slur cast upon my old friend's character is nothing worse than
a careless blunder.

The so-called unpublished prayer is one of Stevenson's best
known & has often been printed, & Lloyd Osbourne was the step son,
not the "son in law".

That is an interesting facsimile of "A Letter to Mr Stevenson's
Friends". I have the copy which used to belong to his mother

Yours faithfully
Wm. Fowler

Walt.T. Spencer, Esq

PARISH COUNCIL OF SELKIRK

Selkirk, 31st October 1923

Dear Sir

Might I be allowed to trouble you again? The enclosed copy of a letter I sent a little over a week ago to Spencer, the London bookseller, will explain why I am now addressing you. It seems to me I have written him quite a friendly letter & given him an easy opportunity to apologize, but as yet he has not replied. I have no intention however to allow him to take refuge in silence, and if he doesn't answer me within a reasonable time, perhaps the London Stevenson Club will take up the challenge. The matter cannot rest where it is. Last night I referred him to my letter & requested a reply. Consider what his suggestion means? It is that Thomas Stevenson & his wife accepted as nurse & guardian to their precious Lewis one upon whose character the stain of having an illegitimate child rested. The idea is inconceivable! Spencer is no Stevenson student else he could never have read that first letter to "Cunny" in your "Letters" (date 1871?) without seeing the stupidity of his remark.

I had a call from John A. Steuart the novelist some weeks ago. He is preparing another "Life" of Stevenson & from his remarks & the fact that he is in communication with Hellman I gathered that the mud of Stevenson's early days is to be raked up again. Of course I showed him that I was not in sympathy with him, but there are some natures that delight in dwelling upon the soamy side of a man's character & Steuart seems to be of that kind. He was a friend of Henley, so he told me, & thinks I take the "seraph in chocolate" view of Stevenson. He makes out that after (& because of, I suppose) his showing up Stevenson will appear the bigger & greater man. Perhaps!

He was brought out here by a mutual Edinburgh acquaintance because he had been told I possessed an unusual collection of Stevensoniana. What is worrying me is that I promised to let him have (for facsimile purposes) that very fine letter of Stevenson from Skerryvore where his thoughts wander back to Swanston & he asks "Cunny" to "climb as high as Halkerside" - you know the rest. On reflection I would rather not be associated even in the smallest way with the kind of book I suspect Steuart is going to produce & yet I promised!

With love to Lady Colvin & yourself

Sir Sidney Colvin

PARISH COUNCIL OF SELKIRK

Selkirk, 3 November 1923

Dear Sir

It is good of you to take the trouble to write me in answer
to my letter & I feel very grateful.

Your advice against making too much of the blunder in Mr
Spencer's book is good & I shall follow it. He has offered to
make a correction in the second edition, if a second edition is
called for. Meantime, I am asking him onw or two questions in
order to clear up the matter & I shall let you know the result.

As to the contemplated biography by J.A. Steuart, you
have relieved me to a certain extent by telling me how the propo-
sal has been received. I share your regret that I have had any-
thing to do with him, but no harm has been done as yet. He hasn't
got the letter, only to promise to lend it, & much may happen
before he asks for it.

I am looking forward to the Club Dinner on the 13" inst.
There is a promise on the part of Sir J.M. Barrie to be present,
though not to speak.

Copy

Topfield

Selkirk, 18" April 1924

(Good Friday)

Dear Mr Steuart

When you called upon me in October last you would notice that
my point of view with regard to Stevenson was not the same as yours,
and since I have had time to reflect upon the promise then made to
you that difference has been intensified. More especially is this
the case since the brave, bright spirit who ministered to us that
day, and was my loved companion for over 33 years, has been taken
from me. I never knew Stevenson personally, but you would gather
from what I said, and what you saw, that his influence upon me has
been very great. No other writer has cast such a spell upon me,
and I love his memory. It would ill become me therefore, as his
friend, to be associated in any way, however little, with a "Life"
the outstanding feature of which (and the essential reason for pub-
lishing) seems to be to "startle" - your own word - the reading
public by revelations of a certain period of Stevenson's youth
which ought to be kept in the background. I am perfectly well a-
ware that during that period "ginger was only too hot in his mouth,
"and the chimes at midnight too favourite a music", but when that
is said all that is necessary has been said; no decent-minded man
or woman wishes to be "startled" with the details. It is a shame-
ful thing that those left behind, in whom Stevenson trusted, should
in their greed or their carelessness, have so betrayed his trust
that they should have allowed these details to go out into the
world. The mistakes of Stevenson's youth were fully atoned for
by the conduct of his later life, upon which his reputation rests,
both as a man and as a writer.

I am writing under the stress of a great sorrow, but in this
withdrawing (in answer to yours of 12" inst.) from my promise to
send you my Stevenson letter I am glad to know that I have the assur-
ance of the approval of my dear dead wife. Of course I am not fool-
ish enough to suppose that this action of mine will in any way af-
fect your plans.

While writing, may I take the opportunity of mentioning another
matter? I have been told within the last few days that in the
"Life" you intend to repeat the silly, stupid story put about by
Mr W. T. Spencer in his "Forty Years in my Bookshop" about his
difficulty in securing a certain Stevenson relic from "Cummy's"
son in the Life Guards. It being well known amongst Stevensonians
that "Cummy" was never married I wrote to Mr Spencer at the time
protesting against the insinuation implied and pointing out how his
error had probably arisen & I have a letter from Mr Thomas Moult
(the actual writer of the book) promising to amend the matter in the
second edition. To any Stevenson student the several blunders

(Wm. Fowler - 18" April 1924)

in the Stevenson chapter of "Forty Years" are merely laughable, but it will be more serious if you repeat the implied slander on my old friend's character in your "Life" of Stevenson. I am aware that I am of no account in the literary world, but Alison Cunningham was my friend, and I now tell you that from conviction and knowledge I have evidence that the slur on her character is unfounded. I am satisfied that Mr Spencer had no intention of slandering "Cunny's" character when he published the original statement, but made it from ignorance, and I hope that the story of your intention to repeat it is untrue. If, after what I have said above you do repeat it, the action cannot be characterized as merely silly and stupid, but malicious.

Yours sincerely

Wm. Fowler

Topfield

Selkirk, 21 Apr. 1924

Dear Sir Sidney Colvin

Excuse me troubling you again but I think you will be interested to read the enclosed copy of a letter recently sent to Mr. Steuart. You were good enough to advise me not to proceed further re the "Gummy" matter as far as Mr Spencer was concerned, & I did not, but when it came to my ears, through Miss Masson, that Mr Steuart was about to repeat the libel I thought it about time to speak out. I hope I have made myself clear to him without being offensive. I hope Lady Colvin & yourself are well.

Ansd

28. iv. 25

40 Craigmillar Park

Edinburgh 24th April 1925.

Dear Sir Sidney Colvin,

In the new edition of my Life of R.L.
Stevenson I should like to include the review of the book by
Yourself which appeared in the *Nation* together with my reply.
Perhaps you will kindly let me know if you have any objection
to this.

In certain quarters where (to put it mildly) prejudice ran
high a very determined & very ungenerous attempt was made to in-
jure my book. I am glad to say it has failed utterly, though of
course the memory of it must remain with me. I have by no means
used all the material in my possession for the biography.

I have just made a flying visit to London; but I felt it is
now too late for the interview you desired. Therefore I did not
trouble you. I hope to return to London permanently in the
course of a few months.

Faithfully yours

J.A. Stuart

Sir Sidney Colvin