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itself。 You have yet to give us … and I am expecting it with
impatience … something of a larger gait; something daylit; not
twilit; something with the colours of life; not the flat tints of a
temple illumination; something that shall be SAID with all the
clearnesses and the trivialities of speech; not SUNG like a semi…
articulate lullaby。 It will not please yourself as well; when you
come to give it us; but it will please others better。 It will be
more of a whole; more worldly; more nourished; more commonplace …
and not so pretty; perhaps not even so beautiful。 No man knows
better than I that; as we go on in life; we must part from
prettiness and the graces。 We but attain qualities to lose them;
life is a series of farewells; even in art; even our proficiencies
are deciduous and evanescent。 So here with these exquisite pieces
the XVIIth; XVIIIth; and IVth of the present collection。 You will
perhaps never excel them; I should think the 'Hermes;' never。
Well; you will do something else; and of that I am in expectation。
… Yours cordially;
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter: TO A。 ST。 GAUDENS
VAILIMA; SAMOA; JULY 8; 1894。
MY DEAR ST。 GAUDENS; … This is to tell you that the medallion has
been at last triumphantly transported up the hill and placed over
my smoking…room mantelpiece。 It is considered by everybody a
first…rate but flattering portrait。 We have it in a very good
light; which brings out the artistic merits of the god…like
sculptor to great advantage。 As for my own opinion; I believe it
to be a speaking likeness; and not flattered at all; possibly a
little the reverse。 The verses (curse the rhyme) look remarkably
well。
Please do not longer delay; but send me an account for the expense
of the gilt letters。 I was sorry indeed that they proved beyond
the means of a small farmer。 … Yours very sincerely;
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter: TO MISS ADELAIDE BOODLE
VAILIMA; JULY 14; 1894。
MY DEAR ADELAIDE; … 。 。 。 So; at last; you are going into mission
work? where I think your heart always was。 You will like it in a
way; but remember it is dreary long。 Do you know the story of the
American tramp who was offered meals and a day's wage to chop with
the back of an axe on a fallen trunk。 'Damned if I can go on
chopping when I can't see the chips fly!' You will never see the
chips fly in mission work; never; and be sure you know it
beforehand。 The work is one long dull disappointment; varied by
acute revulsions; and those who are by nature courageous and
cheerful and have grown old in experience; learn to rub their hands
over infinitesimal successes。 However; as I really believe there
is some good done in the long run … GUTTA CAVAT LAPIDEM NON VI in
this business … it is a useful and honourable career in which no
one should be ashamed to embark。 Always remember the fable of the
sun; the storm; and the traveller's cloak。 Forget wholly and for
ever all small pruderies; and remember that YOU CANNOT CHANGE
ANCESTRAL FEELINGS OF RIGHT AND WRONG WITHOUT WHAT IS PRACTICALLY
SOUL…MURDER。 Barbarous as the customs may seem; always hear them
with patience; always judge them with gentleness; always find in
them some seed of good; see that you always develop them; remember
that all you can do is to civilise the man in the line of his own
civilisation; such as it is。 And never expect; never believe in;
thaumaturgic conversions。 They may do very well for St。 Paul; in
the case of an Andaman islander they mean less than nothing。 In
fact; what you have to do is to teach the parents in the interests
of their great…grandchildren。
Now; my dear Adelaide; dismiss from your mind the least idea of
fault upon your side; nothing is further from the fact。 I cannot
forgive you; for I do not know your fault。 My own is plain enough;
and the name of it is cold…hearted neglect; and you may busy
yourself more usefully in trying to forgive me。 But ugly as my
fault is; you must not suppose it to mean more than it does; it
does not mean that we have at all forgotten you; that we have
become at all indifferent to the thought of you。 See; in my life
of Jenkin; a remark of his; very well expressed; on the friendships
of men who do not write to each other。 I can honestly say that I
have not changed to you in any way; though I have behaved thus ill;
thus cruelly。 Evil is done by want of … well; principally by want
of industry。 You can imagine what I would say (in a novel) of any
one who had behaved as I have done; DETERIORA SEQUOR。 And you must
somehow manage to forgive your old friend; and if you will be so
very good; continue to give us news of you; and let us share the
knowledge of your adventures; sure that it will be always followed
with interest … even if it is answered with the silence of
ingratitude。 For I am not a fool; I know my faults; I know they
are ineluctable; I know they are growing on me。 I know I may
offend again; and I warn you of it。 But the next time I offend;
tell me so plainly and frankly like a lady; and don't lacerate my
heart and bludgeon my vanity with imaginary faults of your own and
purely gratuitous penitence。 I might suspect you of irony!
We are all fairly well; though I have been off work and off … as
you know very well … letter…writing。 Yet I have sometimes more
than twenty letters; and sometimes more than thirty; going out each
mail。 And Fanny has had a most distressing bronchitis for some
time; which she is only now beginning to get over。 I have just
been to see her; she is lying … though she had breakfast an hour
ago; about seven … in her big cool; mosquito…proof room;
ingloriously asleep。 As for me; you see that a doom has come upon
me: I cannot make marks with a pen … witness 'ingloriously' above;
and my amanuensis not appearing so early in the day; for she is
then immersed in household affairs; and I can hear her 'steering
the boys' up and down the verandahs … you must decipher this
unhappy letter for yourself and; I fully admit; with everything
against you。 A letter should be always well written; how much more
a letter of apology! Legibility is the politeness of men of
letters; as punctuality of kings and beggars。 By the punctuality
of my replies; and the beauty of my hand…writing; judge what a fine
conscience I must have!
Now; my dear gamekeeper; I must really draw to a close。 For I have
much else to write before the mail goes out three days hence。
Fanny being asleep; it would not be conscientious to invent a
message from her; so you must just imagine her sentiments。 I find
I have not the heart to speak of your recent loss。 You remember
perhaps; when my father died; you told me those ugly images of
sickness; decline; and impaired reason; which then haunted me day
and night; would pass away and be succeeded by things more happily
characteristic。 I have found it so。 He now haunts me; strangely
enough; in two guises; as a man of fifty; lying on a hillside and
carving mottoes on a stick; strong and well; and as a younger man;
running down the sands into the sea near North Berwick; myself …
AETAT。 II … somewhat horrified at finding him so beautiful when
stripped! I hand on your own advice to you in case you have
forgotten it; as I know one is apt to do in seasons of bereavement。
… Ever yours; with much love and sympathy;
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter: TO MRS。 BAKER
VAILIMA; SAMOA; JULY 16; 1894。
DEAR MRS。 BAKER; … I am very much obliged to you for your letter
and the enclosure from Mr。 Skinner。 Mr。 Skinner says he 'thinks
Mr。 Stevenson must be a very kind man'; he little knows me。 But I
am very sure of one thing; that you are a very kind woman。 I envy
you … my amanuensis being called away; I continue in my o