work　he　did。　　Mr　Beerbohm　Tree　certainly　did　not　there　see　　far　or　all　round。
  Miss　Simpson　says：
  〃Mr　Henley　recalls　him　to　Edinburgh　folk　as　he　was　and　as　the　true　　Stevenson　would　have　wished　to　be　known　…　a　queer；　inexplicable　　creature；　his　Celtic　blood　showing　like　a　vein　of　unknown　metal　in　　the　stolid；　steady　rock　of　his　sure…founded　Stevensonian　pedigree。　　　His　cousin　and　model；　'Bob'　Stevenson；　the　art　critic；　showed　that　　this　foreign　element　came　from　the　men　who　lit　our　guiding　lights　　for　seamen；　not　from　the　gentle…blooded　Balfours。
  〃Mr　Henley　is　right　in　saying　that　the　gifted　boy　had　not　much　　humour。　　When　the　joke　was　against　himself　he　was　very　thin…skinned　　and　had　a　want　of　balance。　　This　made　him　feel　his　honest　father's　　sensible　remarks　like　the　sting　of　a　whip。〃
  Miss　Simpson　then　proceeds　to　say：
  〃The　R。　L。　Stevenson　of　old　Edinburgh　days　was　a　conceited；　　egotistical　youth；　but　a　true　and　honest　one：　　a　youth　full　of　fire　　and　sentiment；　protesting　he　was　misunderstood；　though　he　was　not。　　　Posing　as　'Velvet　Coat'　among　the　slums；　he　did　no　good　to　himself。　　　He　had　not　the　Dickens　aptitude　for　depicting　the　ways　of　life　of　　his　adopted　friends。　　When　with　refined　judgment　he　wanted　a　figure　　for　a　novel；　he　went　back　to　the　Bar　he　scorned　in　his　callow　days　　and　then　drew　in　WEIR　OF　HERMISTON。〃
  CHAPTER　V　…　TRAVELS
  HIS　interest　in　engineering　soon　went　…　his　mind　full　of　stories　　and　fancies　and　human　nature。　　As　he　had　told　his　mother：　　he　did　　not　care　about　finding　what　was　〃the　strain　on　a　bridge；〃　he　wanted　　to　know　something　of　human　beings。
  No　doubt；　much　to　the　disappointment　and　grief　of　his　father；　who　　wished　him　as　an　only　son　to　carry　on　the　traditions　of　the　family；　　though　he　had　written　two　engineering　essays　of　utmost　promise；　the　　engineering　was　given　up；　and　he　consented　to　study　law。　　He　had　　already　contributed　to　College　Magazines；　and　had　had　even　a　short　　spell　of　editing　one；　of　one　of　these　he　has　given　a　racy　account。　　　Very　soon　after　his　call　to　the　Bar　articles　and　essays　from　his　　pen　began　to　appear　in　MACMILLAN'S；　and　later；　more　regularly　in　　the　CORNHILL。　　Careful　readers　soon　began　to　note　here　the　presence　　of　a　new　force。　　He　had　gone　on　the　INLAND　VOYAGE　and　an　account　of　　it　was　in　hand；　and　had　done　that　tour　in　the　Cevennes　which　he　has　　described　under　the　title　TRAVELS　WITH　A　DONKEY　IN　THE　CEVENNES；　　with　Modestine；　sometimes　doubting　which　was　the　donkey；　but　on　　that　tour　a　chill　caught　either　developed　a　germ　of　lung　disease　　already　present；　or　produced　it；　and　the　results　unfortunately　　remained。
  He　never　practised　at　the　Bar；　though　he　tells　facetiously　of　his　　one　brief。　　He　had　chosen　his　own　vocation；　which　was　literature；　　and　the　years　which　followed　were；　despite　the　delicacy　which　　showed　itself；　very　busy　years。　　He　produced　volume　on　volume。　　He　　had　written　many　stories　which　had　never　seen　the　light；　but；　as　he　　says；　passed　through　the　ordeal　of　the　fire　by　more　or　less　　circuitous　ways。
  By　this　time　some　trouble　and　cause　for　anxiety　had　arisen　about　　the　lungs；　and　trials　of　various　places　had　been　made。　　ORDERED　　SOUTH　suggests　the　Mediterranean；　sunny　Italy；　the　Riviera。　　Then　a　　sea…trip　to　America　was　recommended　and　undertaken。　　Unfortunately；　　he　got　worse　there；　his　original　cause　of　trouble　was　complicated　　with　others；　and　the　medical　treatment　given　was　stupid；　and　　exaggerated　some　of　the　symptoms　instead　of　removing　them；　All　　along　…　up；　at　all　events；　to　the　time　of　his　settlement　in　Samoa　…　　Stevenson　was　more　or　less　of　an　invalid。
  Indeed；　were　I　ever　to　write　an　essay　on　the　art　of　wisely　〃laying…　to；〃　as　the　sailors　say；　I　would　point　it　by　a　reference　to　R。　L。　　Stevenson。　　For　there　is　a　wise　way　of　〃laying…to〃　that　does　not　　imply　inaction；　but　discreet；　well…directed　effort；　against　　contrary　winds　and　rough　seas；　that　is；　amid　obstacles　and　　drawbacks；　and　even　ill…health；　where　passive　and　active　may　　balance　and　give　effect　to　each　other。　　Stevenson　was　by　native　　instinct　and　temperament　a　rover　…　a　lover　of　adventure；　of　strange　　by…ways；　errant　tracts　（as　seen　in　his　INLAND　VOYAGE　and　TRAVELS　　WITH　A　DONKEY　THROUGH　THE　CEVENNES　…　seen　yet　more；　perhaps；　in　a　　certain　account　of　a　voyage　to　America　as　a　steerage　passenger）；　　lofty　mountain…tops；　with　stronger　air；　and　strange　and　novel　　surroundings。　　He　would　fain；　like　Ulysses；　be　at　home　in　foreign　　lands；　making　acquaintance　with　outlying　races；　with
  〃Cities　of　men；　And　manners；　climates；　councils；　governments：　Myself　not　least；　but　honoured　of　them　all；　Far　on　the　ringing　plains　of　windy　Troy。〃
  If　he　could　not　move　about　as　he　would；　he　would　invent；　make　fancy　　serve　him　instead　of　experience。　　We　thus　owe　something　to　the　　staying　and　restraining　forces　in　him；　and　a　wise　〃laying…to〃　…　for　　his　works；　which　are；　in　large　part；　finely…healthy；　objective；　and　　in　almost　everything　unlike　the　work　of　an　invalid；　yet；　in　some　　degree；　were　but　the　devices　to　beguile　the　burdens　of　an　invalid's　　days。　　Instead　of　remaining　in　our　climate；　it　might　be；　to　lie　　listless　and　helpless　half　the　day；　with　no　companion　but　his　own　　thoughts　and　fancies　（not　always　so　pleasant　either；　if；　like　　Frankenstein's　monster；　or；　better　still　like　the　imp　in　the　bottle　　in　the　ARABIAN　NIGHTS；　you　cannot；　once　for　all　liberate　them；　and　　set　them　adrift　on　their　own　charges　to　visit　other　people）；　he　　made　a　home　in　the　sweeter　air　and　more　steady　climate　of　the　South　　Pacific；　where；　under　the　Southern　Cross；　he　could　safely　and　　beneficially　be　as　active　as　he　would　be　involuntarily　idle　at　　home；　or　work　only　under　pressure　of　hampering　conditions。　　That　　was　surely　an　illustration　of　the　true　〃laying…to〃　with　an　　unaffectedly　brave；　bright　resolution　in　it。
  CHAPTER　VI　…　SOME　EARLIER　LETTERS
  CARLYLE　was　wont　to　say　that；　next　to　a　faithful　portrait；　familiar　　letters　were　the　best　medium　to　reveal　a　man。　　The　letters　must　　have　been　written　with　no　idea　of　being　used　for　this　end；　however　　…　free；　artless；　the　unstudied　self…revealings　of　mind　and　heart。　　　Now；　these　letters　of　R。　L。　Stevenson；　written　to　his　friends　in　　England；　have　a　vast　value　in　this　way　…　they　reveal　the　man　…　　reveal　him　in　his　strength　and　his　weakness　…　his　ready　gift　in　　pleasing　and　adapting　himself　to　those　with　whom　he　corresponded；　　and　his　great　power　at　once　of　adapting　himself　to　his　　circumstances　and　of　humorously　rising　superior　to　them。　　When　he　　was　ill　and　almost　penniless　in　San　Francisco；　he　could　give　Mr　　Colvin　this　account　of　his　daily　routine：
  〃Any　time　between　eight　and　half…past　nine　in　the　morning　a　slender　　gentleman　in　an　ulster；　with　a　volume　buttoned　into　the　breast　of　　it；　maybe　observed　leaving　No。　608　Bush　and　descending　Powell　with　　an　active　step。　　The　gentleman　is　R。　L。　Stevenson；　the　volume　　relates　to　Benjamin　Franklin；　on　whom　he　meditates　one　of　his　　charming　essays。　　He　descends　Powell；　crosses　Market；　and　descends　　in　Sixth　on　a　branch　of　the　original　Pine　Street　Coffee…House；　no　　less。　。　。　。　He　seats　himself　at　a　table　covered　with　waxcloth；　and　　a　pampered　menial　of　High…Dutch　extraction；　and；　indeed；　as　yet　　only　partially　extracted；　lays　before　him　a　cup　of　coffee；　a　roll；　　and　a　pat　of　butter；　all；　to　quote　the　deity；　very　good。　　A　while　　ago；　and　R。　L。　Stevenson　used　to　find　the　supply　of　butter　　insufficient；　but　he　has　now　learned　the　art　to　exactitude；　and　　butter　and　roll　expire　at　the　same　moment。　　For　this　rejection　he　　pays　ten　cents；　or　fivepence　sterling。
  〃Half　an　hour　later；　the　inhabitants　of　Bush　Street　observed　the　　same　slender　gentleman　armed；　like　George　Washington；　with　his　　little　hatchet；　splitting　kindling；　and　breaking　coal　for　his　fire。　　　He　does　this　quasi…publicly　upon　the　window…sill；　but　this　is　not　　to　be　attributed　to　any　love　of　notoriety；　though　he　is　indeed　vain　　of　his　prowess　with　the　hatchet　（which　he　persists　in　calling　an　　axe）；　and　daily　surprised　at　the　perpetuation　of　his　fingers。　　The　　reason　is　this：　　That　the　sill　is　a　strong　supporting　beam；　and　　that　blows　of　the　same　emphasis　in　other　parts　of　his　room　might　　knock　the　entire　shanty　into　hell。　　Thenceforth；　for　from　three　　hours；　he　is　engaged　darkly　with　an　ink…bottle。　　Yet　he　is　not　　blacking　his　boots；　for　the　only　pair　that　he　possesses　are　　innocent　of　lustre；　and　wear　the　natural　hue　of　the　material　turned　　up　with　caked　and　venerable　slush。　　The　youngest　child　of　his　　landlady　remarks　several　times　a　day；　as　this　strange　occupant　　enters　or　quits　the　house；　'Dere's　de　author。'　　Can　it　be　that　this　　bright…haired　innocent　has　found　the　true　clue　to　the　mystery？　　The　　being　in　question　is；　at　least；　poor　enough　to　belong　to　that　　honourable　craft。〃
  Here　are　a　few　letters　belonging　to　the　winter　of　1887…88；　nearly　　all　written　from　Saranac　Lake；　in　the　Adirondacks；　celebrated　by　　Emerson；　and　now　a　most　popular　holiday　resort　in　the　United　　States；　and　were　originally　published　in　SCRIBNER'S　MAGAZINE。　。　。　　〃It　should　be　said　that；　after　his　long　spell　of　weakness　at　　Bournemouth；　Stevenson　had　gone　West　in　search　of　health　among　the　　bleak　hill　summits　…　'on　the　Canadian　border　of　New　Y