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right； I was wrong； the author is not the whore； but the libertine；
and yet I shall let the passage stand。 It is an error； but it
illustrated the truth for which I was contending； that literature …
painting … all art； are no other than pleasures； which we turn into
trades。
And more than all this； I had； and I have to thank you for the
intimate loyalty you have shown to myself； for the eager welcome
you give to what is good … for the courtly tenderness with which
you touch on my defects。 I begin to grow old； I have given my top
note； I fancy； … and I have written too many books。 The world
begins to be weary of the old booth； and if not weary； familiar
with the familiarity that breeds contempt。 I do not know that I am
sensitive to criticism； if it be hostile； I am sensitive indeed；
when it is friendly； and when I read such criticism as yours； I am
emboldened to go on and praise God。
You are still young； and you may live to do much。 The little；
artificial popularity of style in England tends； I think； to die
out； the British pig returns to his true love； the love of the
styleless； of the shapeless； of the slapdash and the disorderly。
There is trouble coming； I think； and you may have to hold the fort
for us in evil days。
Lastly； let me apologise for the crucifixion that I am inflicting
on you （BIEN A CONTRE…COEUR） by my bad writing。 I was once the
best of writers； landladies； puzzled as to my 'trade；' used to have
their honest bosoms set at rest by a sight of a page of manuscript。
… 'Ah；' they would say； 'no wonder they pay you for that'； … and
when I sent it in to the printers； it was given to the boys！ I was
about thirty…nine； I think； when I had a turn of scrivener's palsy；
my hand got worse； and for the first time； I received clean proofs。
But it has gone beyond that now； I know I am like my old friend
James Payn； a terror to correspondents； and you would not believe
the care with which this has been written。 … Believe me to be； very
sincerely yours；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO MRS。 A。 BAKER
DECEMBER 1893。
DEAR MADAM； … There is no trouble； and I wish I could help instead。
As it is； I fear I am only going to put you to trouble and
vexation。 This Braille writing is a kind of consecration； and I
would like if I could to have your copy perfect。 The two volumes
are to be published as Vols。 I。 and II。 of THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID
BALFOUR。 1st； KIDNAPPED； 2nd； CATRIONA。 I am just sending home a
corrected KIDNAPPED for this purpose to Messrs。 Cassell； and in
order that I may if possible be in time； I send it to you first of
all。 Please； as soon as you have noted the changes； forward the
same to Cassell and Co。； La Belle Sauvage Yard； Ludgate Hill。
I am writing to them by this mail to send you CATRIONA。
You say； dear madam； you are good enough to say； it is 'a keen
pleasure' to you to bring my book within the reach of the blind。
Conceive then what it is to me！ and believe me； sincerely yours；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
I was a barren tree before；
I blew a quenched coal；
I could not； on their midnight shore；
The lonely blind console。
A moment； lend your hand； I bring
My sheaf for you to bind；
And you can teach my words to sing
In the darkness of the blind。
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO HENRY JAMES
APIA； DECEMBER 1893。
MY DEAR HENRY JAMES； … The mail has come upon me like an armed man
three days earlier than was expected； and the Lord help me！ It is
impossible I should answer anybody the way they should be。 Your
jubilation over CATRIONA did me good； and still more the subtlety
and truth of your remark on the starving of the visual sense in
that book。 'Tis true； and unless I make the greater effort … and
am； as a step to that； convinced of its necessity … it will be more
true I fear in the future。 I HEAR people talking； and I FEEL them
acting； and that seems to me to be fiction。 My two aims may be
described as …
1ST。 War to the adjective。
2ND。 Death to the optic nerve。
Admitted we live in an age of the optic nerve in literature。 For
how many centuries did literature get along without a sign of it？
However； I'll consider your letter。
How exquisite is your character of the critic in ESSAYS IN LONDON！
I doubt if you have done any single thing so satisfying as a piece
of style and of insight。 … Yours ever；
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO CHARLES BAXTER
1ST JANUARY '94。
MY DEAR CHARLES； … I am delighted with your idea； and first； I will
here give an amended plan and afterwards give you a note of some of
the difficulties。
＇Plan of the Edinburgh edition … 14 vols。＇
。 。 。 It may be a question whether my TIMES letters might not be
appended to the 'Footnote' with a note of the dates of discharge of
Cedercrantz and Pilsach。
I am particularly pleased with this idea of yours； because I am
come to a dead stop。 I never can remember how bad I have been
before； but at any rate I am bad enough just now； I mean as to
literature； in health I am well and strong。 I take it I shall be
six months before I'm heard of again； and this time I could put in
to some advantage in revising the text and （if it were thought
desirable） writing prefaces。 I do not know how many of them might
be thought desirable。 I have written a paper on TREASURE ISLAND；
which is to appear shortly。 MASTER OF BALLANTRAE … I have one
drafted。 THE WRECKER is quite sufficiently done already with the
last chapter； but I suppose an historic introduction to DAVID
BALFOUR is quite unavoidable。 PRINCE OTTO I don't think I could
say anything about； and BLACK ARROW don't want to。 But it is
probable I could say something to the volume of TRAVELS。 In the
verse business I can do just what I like better than anything else；
and extend UNDERWOODS with a lot of unpublished stuff。 APROPOS； if
I were to get printed off a very few poems which are somewhat too
intimate for the public； could you get them run up in some luxuous
manner； so that fools might be induced to buy them in just a
sufficient quantity to pay expenses and the thing remain still in a
manner private？ We could supply photographs of the illustrations …
and the poems are of Vailima and the family … I should much like to
get this done as a surprise for Fanny。
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO H。 B。 BAILDON
VAILIMA； JANUARY 15TH； 1894。
MY DEAR BAILDON； … Last mail brought your book and its Dedication。
'Frederick Street and the gardens； and the short…lived Jack o'
Lantern；' are again with me … and the note of the east wind； and
Froebel's voice； and the smell of soup in Thomson's stair。 Truly；
you had no need to put yourself under the protection of any other
saint； were that saint our Tamate himself！ Yourself were enough；