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！
All of which goes to show that nobody is quite sane in judging
himself。 Truly； had I given way and gone in for engineering； I
should be dead by now。 Well； the gods know best。
I hope you got my letter about the RESCUE。 … Adieu；
R。 L。 S。
True for you about the benefit： except by kisses； jests； song； ET
HOC GENUS OMNE； man CANNOT convey benefit to another。 The
universal benefactor has been there before him。
Letter： TO J。 H。 BATES
VAILIMA； SAMOA； MARCH 25TH； 1894。
MY DEAR MR。 JOE H。 BATES； … I shall have the greatest pleasure in
acceding to your complimentary request。 I shall think it an honour
to be associated with your chapter； and I need not remind you （for
you have said it yourself） how much depends upon your own exertions
whether to make it to me a real honour or only a derision。 This is
to let you know that I accept the position that you have seriously
offered to me in a quite serious spirit。 I need scarce tell you
that I shall always be pleased to receive reports of your
proceedings； and if I do not always acknowledge them； you are to
remember that I am a man very much occupied otherwise； and not at
all to suppose that I have lost interest in my chapter。
In this world； which （as you justly say） is so full of sorrow and
suffering； it will always please me to remember that my name is
connected with some efforts after alleviation； nor less so with
purposes of innocent recreation which； after all； are the only
certain means at our disposal for bettering human life。
With kind regards； to yourself； to Mr。 L。 C。 Congdon； to E。 M。 G。
Bates； and to Mr。 Edward Hugh Higlee Bates； and the heartiest
wishes for the future success of the chapter； believe me； yours
cordially；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO WILLIAM ARCHER
VAILIMA； SAMOA； MARCH 27TH； 1894。
MY DEAR ARCHER； … Many thanks for your THEATRICAL WORLD。 Do you
know； it strikes me as being really very good？ I have not yet read
much of it； but so far as I have looked； there is not a dull and
not an empty page in it。 Hazlitt； whom you must often have thought
of； would have been pleased。 Come to think of it； I shall put this
book upon the Hazlitt shelf。 You have acquired a manner that I can
only call august； otherwise； I should have to call it such amazing
impudence。 The BAUBLE SHOP and BECKET are examples of what I mean。
But it 'sets you weel。'
Marjorie Fleming I have known； as you surmise； for long。 She was
possibly … no； I take back possibly … she was one of the greatest
works of God。 Your note about the resemblance of her verses to
mine gave me great joy； though it only proved me a plagiarist。 By
the by； was it not over THE CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES that we first
scraped acquaintance？ I am sorry indeed to hear that my esteemed
correspondent Tomarcher has such poor taste in literature。 I fear
he cannot have inherited this trait from his dear papa。 Indeed； I
may say I know it； for I remember the energy of papa's disapproval
when the work passed through his hands on its way to a second
birth； which none regrets more than myself。 It is an odd fact； or
perhaps a very natural one； I find few greater pleasures than
reading my own works； but I never； O I never read THE BLACK ARROW。
In that country Tomarcher reigns supreme。 Well； and after all； if
Tomarcher likes it； it has not been written in vain。
We have just now a curious breath from Europe。 A young fellow just
beginning letters； and no fool； turned up here with a letter of
introduction in the well…known blue ink and decorative hieroglyphs
of George Meredith。 His name may be known to you。 It is Sidney
Lysaght。 He is staying with us but a day or two； and it is strange
to me and not unpleasant to hear all the names； old and new； come
up again。 But oddly the new are so much more in number。 If I
revisited the glimpses of the moon on your side of the ocean； I
should know comparatively few of them。
My amanuensis deserts me … I should have said you； for yours is the
loss； my script having lost all bond with humanity。 One touch of
nature makes the whole world kin： that nobody can read my hand。
It is a humiliating circumstance that thus evens us with printers！
You must sometimes think it strange … or perhaps it is only I that
should so think it … to be following the old round； in the gas
lamps and the crowded theatres； when I am away here in the tropical
forest and the vast silences！
My dear Archer； my wife joins me in the best wishes to yourself and
Mrs。 Archer； not forgetting Tom； and I am yours very cordially；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO W。 B。 YEATS
VAILIMA； SAMOA； APRIL 14； 1894。
DEAR SIR； … Long since when I was a boy I remember the emotions
with which I repeated Swinburne's poems and ballads。 Some ten
years ago； a similar spell was cast upon me by Meredith's LOVE IN
THE VALLEY； the stanzas beginning 'When her mother tends her'
haunted me and made me drunk like wine； and I remember waking with
them all the echoes of the hills about Hyeres。 It may interest you
to hear that I have a third time fallen in slavery： this is to
your poem called the LAKE ISLE OF INNISFRAE。 It is so quaint and
airy； simple； artful； and eloquent to the heart … but I seek words
in vain。 Enough that 'always night and day I hear lake water
lapping with low sounds on the shore；' and am； yours gratefully；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO GEORGE MEREDITH
VAILIMA； SAMOA； APRIL 17TH； 1894。
MY DEAR MEREDITH； … Many good things have the gods sent to me of
late。 First of all there was a letter from you by the kind hand of
Mariette； if she is not too great a lady to be remembered in such a
style； and then there came one Lysaght with a charming note of
introduction in the well…known hand itself。 We had but a few days
of him； and liked him well。 There was a sort of geniality and
inward fire about him at which I warmed my hands。 It is long since
I have seen a young man who has left in me such a favourable
impression； and I find myself telling myself； 'O； I must tell this
to Lysaght；' or； 'This will interest him；' in a manner very unusual
after so brief an acquaintance。 The whole of my family shared in
this favourable impression； and my halls have re…echoed ever since；
I am sure he will be amused to know； with WIDDICOMBE FAIR。
He will have told you doubtless more of my news than I could tell
you myself； he has your European perspective； a thing long lost to
me。 I heard with a great deal of interest the news of Box Hill。
And so I understand it is to be enclosed！ Allow me to remark； that
seems a far more barbaric trait of manners than the most barbarous
of ours。 We content ourselves with cutting off an occasional head。
I hear we may soon exp