THE　COTTAGE；　CASTLETON　OF　BRAEMAR。　（NO　DATE。）
  〃MY　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　am　here　as　yet　a　fixture；　and　beg　you　to　come　our　　way。　　Would　Tuesday　or　Wednesday　suit　you　by　any　chance？　　We　shall　　then；　I　believe；　be　empty：　　a　thing　favourable　to　talks。　　You　get　　here　in　time　for　dinner。　　I　stay　till　near　the　end　of　September；　　unless；　as　may　very　well　be；　the　weather　drive　me　forth。　…　Yours　　very　sincerely；　ROBERT　LOUIS　STEVENSON。〃
  I　accordingly　went　to　Braemar；　where　he　and　his　wife　and　her　son　　were　staying　with　his　father　and　mother。
  These　were　red…letter　days　in　my　calendar　alike　on　account　of　　pleasant　intercourse　with　his　honoured　father　and　himself。　　Here　is　　my　pen…and…ink　portrait　of　R。　L。　Stevenson；　thrown　down　at　the　　time：
  Mr　Stevenson's　is；　indeed；　a　very　picturesque　and　striking　figure。　　　Not　so　tall　probably　as　he　seems　at　first　sight　from　his　extreme　　thinness；　but　the　pose　and　air　could　not　be　otherwise　described　　than　as　distinguished。　　Head　of　fine　type；　carried　well　on　the　　shoulders　and　in　walking　with　the　impression　of　being　a　little　　thrown　back；　long　brown　hair；　falling　from　under　a　broadish…brimmed　　Spanish　form　of　soft　felt　hat；　Rembrandtesque；　loose　kind　of　　Inverness　cape　when　walking；　and　invariable　velvet　jacket　inside　　the　house。　　You　would　say　at　first　sight；　wherever　you　saw　him；　　that　he　was　a　man　of　intellect；　artistic　and　individual；　wholly　out　　of　the　common。　　His　face　is　sensitive；　full　of　expression；　though　　it　could　not　be　called　strictly　beautiful。　　It　is　longish；　　especially　seen　in　profile；　and　features　a　little　irregular；　the　　brow　at　once　high　and　broad。　　A　hint　of　vagary；　and　just　a　hint　in　　the　expression；　is　qualified　by　the　eyes；　which　are　set　rather　far　　apart　from　each　other　as　seems；　and　with　a　most　wistful；　and　at　the　　same　time　possibly　a　merry　impish　expression　arising　over　that；　yet　　frank　and　clear；　piercing；　but　at　the　same　time　steady；　and　fall　on　　you　with　a　gentle　radiance　and　animation　as　he　speaks。　　Romance；　if　　with　an　indescribable　SOUPCON　of　whimsicality；　is　marked　upon　him；　　sometimes　he　has　the　look　as　of　the　Ancient　Mariner；　and　could　fix　　you　with　his　glittering　e'e；　and　he　would；　as　he　points　his　　sentences　with　a　movement　of　his　thin　white　forefinger；　when　this　　is　not　monopolised　with　the　almost　incessant　cigarette。　　There　is　a　　faint　suggestion　of　a　hair…brained　sentimental　trace　on　his　　countenance；　but　controlled；　after　all；　by　good　Scotch　sense　and　　shrewdness。　　In　conversation　he　is　very　animated；　and　likes　to　ask　　questions。　　A　favourite　and　characteristic　attitude　with　him　was　to　　put　his　foot　on　a　chair　or　stool　and　rest　his　elbow　on　his　knee；　　with　his　chin　on　his　hand；　or　to　sit；　or　rather　to　half　sit；　half　　lean；　on　the　corner　of　a　table　or　desk；　one　of　his　legs　swinging　　freely；　and　when　anything　that　tickled　him　was　said　he　would　laugh　　in　the　heartiest　manner；　even　at　the　risk　of　bringing　on　his　cough；　　which　at　that　time　was　troublesome。　　Often　when　he　got　animated　he　　rose　and　walked　about　as　he　spoke；　as　if　movement　aided　thought　and　　expression。　　Though　he　loved　Edinburgh；　which　was　full　of　　associations　for　him；　he　had　no　good　word　for　its　east　winds；　which　　to　him　were　as　death。　　Yet　he　passed　one　winter　as　a　〃Silverado　　squatter；〃　the　story　of　which　he　has　inimitably　told　in　the　volume　　titled　THE　SILVERADO　SQUATTERS；　and　he　afterwards　spent　several　　winters　at　Davos　Platz；　where；　as　he　said　to　me；　he　not　only　　breathed　good　air；　but　learned　to　know　with　closest　intimacy　John　　Addington　Symonds；　who　〃though　his　books　were　good；　was　far　finer　　and　more　interesting　than　any　of　his　books。〃　　He　needed　a　good　deal　　of　nursery　attentions；　but　his　invalidism　was　never　obtrusively　　brought　before　one　in　any　sympathy…seeking　way　by　himself；　on　the　　contrary；　a　very　manly；　self…sustaining　spirit　was　evident；　and　the　　amount　of　work　which　he　managed　to　turn　out　even　when　at　his　worst　　was　truly　surprising。
  His　wife；　an　American　lady；　is　highly　cultured；　and　is　herself　an　　author。　　In　her　speech　there　is　just　the　slightest　suggestion　of　　the　American　accent；　which　only　made　it　the　more　pleasing　to　my　　ear。　　She　is　heart　and　soul　devoted　to　her　husband；　proud　of　his　　achievements；　and　her　delight　is　the　consciousness　of　substantially　　aiding　him　in　his　enterprises。
  They　then　had　with　them　a　boy　of　eleven　or　twelve；　Samuel　Lloyd　　Osbourne；　to　be　much　referred　to　later　（a　son　of　Mrs　Stevenson　by　a　　former　marriage）；　whose　delight　was　to　draw　the　oddest；　but　perhaps　　half　intentional　or　unintentional　caricatures；　funny；　in　some　　cases；　beyond　expression。　　His　room　was　designated　the　picture…　gallery；　and　on　entering　I　could　scarce　refrain　from　bursting　into　　laughter；　even　at　the　general　effect；　and；　noticing　this；　and　that　　I　was　putting　some　restraint　on　myself　out　of　respect　for　the　　host's　feelings；　Stevenson　said　to　me　with　a　sly　wink　and　a　gentle　　dig　in　the　ribs；　〃It's　laugh　and　be　thankful　here。〃　　On　Lloyd's　　account　simple　engraving　materials；　types；　and　a　small　printing…　press　had　been　procured；　and　it　was　Stevenson's　delight　to　make　　funny　poems；　stories；　and　morals　for　the　engravings　executed；　and　　all　would　be　duly　printed　together。　　Stevenson's　thorough　enjoyment　　of　the　picture…gallery；　and　his　goodness　to　Lloyd；　becoming　himself　　a　very　boy　for　the　nonce；　were　delightful　to　witness　and　in　degree　　to　share。　　Wherever　they　were　…　at　Braemar；　in　Edinburgh；　at　Davos　　Platz；　or　even　at　Silverado　…　the　engraving　and　printing　went　on。　　　The　mention　of　the　picture…gallery　suggests　that　it　was　out　of　his　　interest　in　the　colour…drawing　and　the　picture…gallery　that　his　　first　published　story；　TREASURE　ISLAND；　grew；　as　we　shall　see。
  I　have　some　copies　of　the　rude　printing…press　productions；　　inexpressibly　quaint；　grotesque；　a　kind　of　literary　horse…play；　yet　　with　a　certain　squint…eyed；　sprawling　genius　in　it；　and　innocent　　childish　Rabelaisian　mirth　of　a　sort。　　At　all　events　I　cannot　look　　at　the　slight　memorials　of　that　time；　which　I　still　possess；　　without　laughing　afresh　till　my　eyes　are　dewy。　　Stevenson；　as　I　　understood；　began　TREASURE　ISLAND　more　to　entertain　Lloyd　Osbourne　　than　anything　else；　the　chapters　being　regularly　read　to　the　family　　circle　as　they　were　written；　and　with　scarcely　a　purpose　beyond。　　　The　lad　became　Stevenson's　trusted　companion　and　collaborator　…　　clearly　with　a　touch　of　genius。
  I　have　before　me　as　I　write　some　of　these　funny　momentoes　of　that　　time；　carefully　kept；　often　looked　at。　　One　of　them　is；　〃THE　BLACK　　CANYON；　OR；　WILD　ADVENTURES　IN　THE　FAR　WEST：　　a　Tale　of　Instruction　　and　Amusement　for　the　Young；　by　Samuel　L。　Osbourne；　printed　by　the　　author；　Davos　Platz；〃　with　the　most　remarkable　cuts。　　It　would　not　　do　some　of　the　sensationalists　anything　but　good　to　read　it　even　at　　this　day；　since　many　points　in　their　art　are　absurdly　caricatured。　　　Another　is　〃MORAL　EMBLEMS；　A　COLLECTION　OF　CUTS　AND　VERSES；　by　R。　　L。　Stevenson；　author　of　the　BLUE　SCALPER；　etc。；　etc。　　Printers；　S。　　L。　Osbourne　and　Company；　Davos　Platz。〃　　Here　are　the　lines　to　a　　rare　piece　of　grotesque；　titled　A　PEAK　IN　DARIEN　…
  'Broad…gazing　on　untrodden　lands；　See　where　adventurous　Cortez　stands；　While　in　the　heavens　above　his　head；　The　eagle　seeks　its　daily　bread。　How　aptly　fact　to　fact　replies；　Heroes　and　eagles；　hills　and　skies。　Ye；　who　contemn　the　fatted　slave；　Look　on　this　emblem　and　be　brave。〃
  Another；　THE　ELEPHANT；　has　these　lines　…
  〃See　in　the　print　how；　moved　by　whim；　Trumpeting　Jumbo；　great　and　grim；　Adjusts　his　trunk；　like　a　cravat；　To　noose　that　individual's　hat；　The　Sacred　Ibis　in　the　distance；　　Joys　to　observe　his　bold　resistance。〃
  R。　L。　Stevenson　wrote　from　Davos　Platz；　in　sending　me　THE　BLACK　　CANYON：
  〃Sam　sends　as　a　present　a　work　of　his　own。　　I　hope　you　feel　　flattered；　for　THIS　IS　SIMPLY　THE　FIRST　TIME　HE　HAS　EVER　GIVEN　ONE　　AWAY。　　I　have　to　buy　my　own　works；　I　can　tell　you。〃
  Later　he　said；　in　sending　a　second：
  〃I　own　I　have　delayed　this　letter　till　I　could　forward　the　　enclosed。　　Remembering　the　night　at　Braemar；　when　we　visited　the　　picture…gallery；　I　hope　it　may　amuse　you：　　you　see　we　do　some　　publishing　hereaway。〃
  Delightfully　suggestive　and　highly　enjoyable；　too；　were　the　　meetings　in　the　little　drawing…room　after　dinner；　when　the　　contrasted　traits　of　father　and　son　came　into　full　play　…　when　R。　　L。　Stevenson　would　sometimes　draw　out　a　new　view　by　bold；　half…　paradoxical　assertion；　or　compel　advance　on　the　point　from　a　new　　quarter　by　a　searching　question　couched　in　the　simplest　language；　　or　reveal　his　own　latest　conviction　finally；　by　a　few　sentences　as　　nicely　rounded　off　as　though　they　had　been　written；　while　he　rose　　and　gently　moved　about；　as　his　habit　was；　in　the　course　of　those　　more　extended　remarks。　　Then　a　chapter　or　two　of　THE　SEA…COOK　would　　be　read；　with　due　pronouncement　on　the　main　points　by　one　or　other　　of　the　family　audience。
  The　reading　of　the　book　is　one　thing。　　It　was　quite　another　thing　　to　hear　Stevenson　as　he　stood　reading　it　aloud；　with　his　hand　　stretched　out　holding　the　manuscript；　and　his　body　gently　swaying　　as　a　kind　of　rhythmical　commentary　on　the　story。　　His　fine　voice；　　clear　and　keen　it　some　of　its　tones；　had　a　wonderful　power　of　　inflection