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the hope of seeing you； I am； yours very truly；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO HENRY JAMES
SARANAC LAKE； WINTER 1887…8。
MY DEAR HENRY JAMES； … It may please you to know how our family has
been employed。 In the silence of the snow the afternoon lamp has
lighted an eager fireside group： my mother reading； Fanny； Lloyd；
and I devoted listeners； and the work was really one of the best
works I ever heard； and its author is to be praised and honoured；
and what do you suppose is the name of it？ and have you ever read
it yourself？ and （I am bound I will get to the bottom of the page
before I blow the gaff； if I have to fight it out on this line all
summer； for if you have not to turn a leaf； there can be no
suspense； the conspectory eye being swift to pick out proper names；
and without suspense； there can be little pleasure in this world；
to my mind at least） … and； in short； the name of it is RODERICK
HUDSON； if you please。 My dear James； it is very spirited； and
very sound； and very noble too。 Hudson； Mrs。 Hudson； Rowland； O；
all first…rate： Rowland a very fine fellow； Hudson as good as he
can stick （did you know Hudson？ I suspect you did）； Mrs。 H。 his
real born mother； a thing rarely managed in fiction。
We are all keeping pretty fit and pretty hearty； but this letter is
not from me to you； it is from a reader of R。 H。 to the author of
the same； and it says nothing； and has nothing to say； but thank
you。
We are going to re…read CASAMASSIMA as a proper pendant。 Sir； I
think these two are your best； and care not who knows it。
May I beg you； the next time RODERICK is printed off； to go over
the sheets of the last few chapters； and strike out 'immense' and
'tremendous'？ You have simply dropped them there like your pocket…
handkerchief； all you have to do is to pick them up and pouch them；
and your room … what do I say？ … your cathedral！ … will be swept
and garnished。 … I am； dear sir； your delighted reader；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
P。S。 … Perhaps it is a pang of causeless honesty； perhaps。 I hope
it will set a value on my praise of RODERICK； perhaps it's a burst
of the diabolic； but I must break out with the news that I can't
bear the PORTRAIT OF A LADY。 I read it all； and I wept too； but I
can't stand your having written it； and I beg you will write no
more of the like。 INFRA； sir； Below you： I can't help it … it may
be your favourite work； but in my eyes it's BELOW YOU to write and
me to read。 I thought RODERICK was going to be another such at the
beginning； and I cannot describe my pleasure as I found it taking
bones and blood； and looking out at me with a moved and human
countenance； whose lineaments are written in my memory until my
last of days。
R。 L。 S。
My wife begs your forgiveness； I believe for her silence。
Letter： TO SIDNEY COLVIN
SARANAC LAKE ＇DECEMBER 1887＇。
MY DEAR COLVIN； … This goes to say that we are all fit； and the
place is very bleak and wintry； and up to now has shown no such
charms of climate as Davos； but is a place where men eat and where
the cattarh； catarrh （cattarrh； or cattarrhh） appears to be
unknown。 I walk in my verandy in the snaw； sir； looking down over
one of those dabbled wintry landscapes that are （to be frank） so
chilly to the human bosom； and up at a grey； English … nay；
MEHERCLE； Scottish … heaven； and I think it pretty bleak； and the
wind swoops at me round the corner； like a lion； and fluffs the
snow in my face； and I could aspire to be elsewhere； but yet I do
not catch cold； and yet； when I come in； I eat。 So that hitherto
Saranac； if not deliriously delectable； has not been a failure；
nay； from the mere point of view of the wicked body； it has proved
a success。 But I wish I could still get to the woods； alas； NOUS
N'IRONS PLUS AU BOIS is my poor song； the paths are buried； the
dingles drifted full； a little walk is grown a long one； till
spring comes； I fear the burthen will hold good。
I get along with my papers for SCRIBNER not fast； nor so far
specially well； only this last； the fourth one （which makes a third
part of my whole task）； I do believe is pulled off after a fashion。
It is a mere sermon： 'Smith opens out'； but it is true； and I find
it touching and beneficial； to me at least； and I think there is
some fine writing in it； some very apt and pregnant phrases。
PULVIS ET UMBRA； I call it； I might have called it a Darwinian
Sermon； if I had wanted。 Its sentiments； although parsonic； will
not offend even you； I believe。 The other three papers； I fear；
bear many traces of effort； and the ungenuine inspiration of an
income at so much per essay； and the honest desire of the incomer
to give good measure for his money。 Well； I did my damndest
anyway。
We have been reading H。 James's RODERICK HUDSON； which I eagerly
press you to get at once： it is a book of a high order … the last
volume in particular。 I wish Meredith would read it。 It took my
breath away。
I am at the seventh book of the AENEID； and quite amazed at its
merits （also very often floored by its difficulties）。 The Circe
passage at the beginning； and the sublime business of Amata with
the simile of the boy's top … O Lord； what a happy thought！ … have
specially delighted me。 … I am； dear sir； your respected friend；
JOHN GREGG GILLSON； J。P。； M。R。I。A。； etc
Letter： TO SIDNEY COLVIN
＇SARANAC； DECEMBER 24； 1887。＇
MY DEAR COLVIN； … Thank you for your explanations。 I have done no
more Virgil since I finished the seventh book； for I have； first
been eaten up with Taine； and next have fallen head over heels into
a new tale； THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE。 No thought have I now apart
from it； and I have got along up to page ninety…two of the draft
with great interest。 It is to me a most seizing tale： there are
some fantastic elements； the most is a dead genuine human problem …
human tragedy； I should say rather。 It will be about as long； I
imagine； as KIDNAPPED。
DRAMATIS PERSONAE：
（1） My old Lord Durrisdeer。
（2） The Master of Ballantrae； AND
（3） Henry Durie； HIS SONS。
（4） Clementina； ENGAGED TO THE FIRST； MARRIED TO THE SECOND。
（5） Ephraim Mackellar； LAND STEWARD AT DURRISDEER AND NARRATOR OF
THE MOST OF THE BOOK。
（6） Francis Burke； Chevalier de St。 Louis； ONE OF PRINCE CHARLIE'S
IRISHMEN AND NARRATOR OF THE REST。
Besides these； many instant figures； most of them dumb or nearly
so： Jessie Brown the whore； Captain Crail； Captain MacCombie； our
old friend Alan Breck； our old friend Riach （both only for an
instant）； Teach the pirate （vulgarly Blackbeard）； John Paul and
Macconochie； servants at Durrisdeer。 The date is from 1745 to '65
（about）。 The scene； near Kirkcudbright； in the States； and for a
little moment in the French East Indies。 I have done