按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
effusion。 … Yours ever；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO J。 M。 BARRIE
＇VAILIMA； DECEMBER 1892。＇
DEAR J。 M。 BARRIE； … You will be sick of me soon； I cannot help it。
I have been off my work for some time； and re…read the EDINBURGH
ELEVEN； and had a great mind to write a parody and give you all
your sauce back again； and see how you would like it yourself。 And
then I read （for the first time … I know not how） the WINDOW IN
THRUMS； I don't say that it is better than THE MINISTER； it's less
of a tale … and there is a beauty； a material beauty； of the tale
IPSE； which clever critics nowadays long and love to forget； it has
more real flaws； but somehow it is … well； I read it last anyway；
and it's by Barrie。 And he's the man for my money。 The glove is a
great page； it is startlingly original； and as true as death and
judgment。 Tibbie Birse in the Burial is great； but I think it was
a journalist that got in the word 'official。' The same character
plainly had a word to say to Thomas Haggard。 Thomas affects me as
a lie … I beg your pardon； doubtless he was somebody you knew； that
leads people so far astray。 The actual is not the true。
I am proud to think you are a Scotchman … though to be sure I know
nothing of that country； being only an English tourist； quo' Gavin
Ogilvy。 I commend the hard case of Mr。 Gavin Ogilvy to J。 M。
Barrie； whose work is to me a source of living pleasure and
heartfelt national pride。 There are two of us now that the Shirra
might have patted on the head。 And please do not think when I thus
seem to bracket myself with you； that I am wholly blinded with
vanity。 Jess is beyond my frontier line； I could not touch her
skirt； I have no such glamour of twilight on my pen。 I am a
capable artist； but it begins to look to me as if you were a man of
genius。 Take care of yourself； for my sake。 It's a devilish hard
thing for a man who writes so many novels as I do； that I should
get so few to read。 And I can read yours； and I love them。
A pity for you that my amanuensis is not on stock to…day； and my
own hand perceptibly worse than usual。 … Yours；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
DECEMBER 5TH； 1892。
P。S。 … They tell me your health is not strong。 Man； come out here
and try the Prophet's chamber。 There's only one bad point to us …
we do rise early。 The Amanuensis states that you are a lover of
silence … and that ours is a noisy house … and she is a chatterbox
… I am not answerable for these statements； though I do think there
is a touch of garrulity about my premises。 We have so little to
talk about； you see。 The house is three miles from town； in the
midst of great silent forests。 There is a burn close by； and when
we are not talking you can hear the burn； and the birds； and the
sea breaking on the coast three miles away and six hundred feet
below us； and about three times a month a bell … I don't know where
the bell is； nor who rings it； it may be the bell in Hans
Andersen's story for all I know。 It is never hot here … 86 in the
shade is about our hottest … and it is never cold except just in
the early mornings。 Take it for all in all； I suppose this island
climate to be by far the healthiest in the world … even the
influenza entirely lost its sting。 Only two patients died； and one
was a man nearly eighty； and the other a child below four months。
I won't tell you if it is beautiful； for I want you to come here
and see for yourself。 Everybody on the premises except my wife has
some Scotch blood in their veins … I beg your pardon … except the
natives … and then my wife is a Dutchwoman … and the natives are
the next thing conceivable to Highlanders before the forty…five。
We would have some grand cracks！
R。 L。 S。
COME； it will broaden your mind； and be the making of me。
CHAPTER XII … LIFE IN SAMOA； CONTINUED； JANUARY 1893…DECEMBER 1894
Letter： TO CHARLES BAXTER
＇APRIL； 1893。＇
。 。 。 About THE JUSTICE…CLERK； I long to go at it； but will first
try to get a short story done。 Since January I have had two severe
illnesses； my boy； and some heart…breaking anxiety over Fanny； and
am only now convalescing。 I came down to dinner last night for the
first time； and that only because the service had broken down； and
to relieve an inexperienced servant。 Nearly four months now I have
rested my brains； and if it be true that rest is good for brains； I
ought to be able to pitch in like a giant refreshed。 Before the
autumn； I hope to send you some JUSTICE…CLERK； or WEIR OF
HERMISTON； as Colvin seems to prefer； I own to indecision。
Received SYNTAX； DANCE OF DEATH； and PITCAIRN； which last I have
read from end to end since its arrival； with vast improvement。
What a pity it stops so soon！ I wonder is there nothing that seems
to prolong the series？ Why doesn't some young man take it up？ How
about my old friend Fountainhall's DECISIONS？ I remember as a boy
that there was some good reading there。 Perhaps you could borrow
me that； and send it on loan； and perhaps Laing's MEMORIALS
therewith； and a work I'm ashamed to say I have never read；
BALFOUR'S LETTERS。 。 。 。 I have come by accident； through a
correspondent； on one very curious and interesting fact … namely；
that Stevenson was one of the names adopted by the MacGregors at
the proscription。 The details supplied by my correspondent are
both convincing and amusing； but it would be highly interesting to
find out more of this。
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO A。 CONAN DOYLE
VAILIMA； APIA； SAMOA； APRIL 5TH； 1893。
DEAR SIR； … You have taken many occasions to make yourself very
agreeable to me； for which I might in decency have thanked you
earlier。 It is now my turn； and I hope you will allow me to offer
you my compliments on your very ingenious and very interesting
adventures of Sherlock Holmes。 That is the class of literature
that I like when I have the toothache。 As a matter of fact； it was
a pleurisy I was enjoying when I took the volume up； and it will
interest you as a medical man to know that the cure was for the
moment effectual。 Only the one thing troubles me： can this be my
old friend Joe Bell？ … I am； yours very truly；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
P。S。 … And lo； here is your address supplied me here in Samoa！ But
do not take mine； O frolic fellow Spookist； from the same source；
mine is wrong。
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO S。 R。 CROCKETT
VAILIMA； SAMOA； MAY 17TH； 1893。
DEAR MR。 CROCKETT； … I do not owe you two letters； nor yet nearly
one； sir！ The last time I heard of you； you wrote about an
accident； and I sent you a letter to my lawyer； Charles Baxter；
which does not seem to have been presented； as I see nothing of it
in his accounts。 Query； was that lost？ I should not like you