and I snatch a moment of collapse so that you may have at least
some sort of a scratch of note along with the
end
of
THE
WRECKER。
Hurray！
which I mean to go herewith。 It has taken me a devil of a pull；
but I think it's going to be ready。 If I did not know you were on
the stretch waiting for it and trembling for your illustrations； I
would keep it for another finish； but things being as they are； I
will let it go the best way I can get it。 I am now within two
pages of the end of Chapter XXV。； which is the last chapter； the
end with its gathering up of loose threads； being the dedication to
Low； and addressed to him： this is my last and best expedient for
the knotting up of these loose cards。 'Tis possible I may not get
that finished in time； in which case you'll receive only Chapters
XXII。 to XXV。 by this mail； which is all that can be required for
illustration。
I wish you would send me MEMOIRS OF BARON MARBOT （French）；
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF LANGUAGE； Strong；
Logeman & Wheeler； PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY； William James； Morris
& Magnusson's SAGA LIBRARY； any volumes that are out； George
Meredith's ONE OF OUR CONQUERORS； LA BAS； by Huysmans （French）；
O'Connor Morris's GREAT COMMANDERS OF MODERN TIMES； LIFE'S
HANDICAP； by Kipling； of Taine's ORIGINES DE LA FRANCE
CONTEMPORAINE； I have only as far as LA REVOLUTION； vol。 iii。； if
another volume is out； please add that。 There is for a book…box。
I hope you will like the end； I think it is rather strong meat。 I
have got into such a deliberate； dilatory； expansive turn； that the
effort to compress this last yarn was unwelcome； but the longest
yarn has to come to an end sometime。 Please look it over for
carelessnesses； and tell me if it had any effect upon your jaded
editorial mind。 I'll see if ever I have time to add more。
I add to my book…box list Adams' HISTORICAL ESSAYS； the Plays of A。
W。 Pinero … all that have appeared； and send me the rest in course
as they do appear； NOUGHTS AND CROSSES by Q。； Robertson's SCOTLAND
UNDER HER EARLY KINGS。
SUNDAY。
The deed is done； didst thou not hear a noise？ 'The end' has been
written to this endless yarn； and I am once more a free man。 What
will he do with it？
Letter： TO W。 CRAIBE ANGUS
VAILIMA； SAMOA； NOVEMBER 1891。
MY DEAR MR。 ANGUS； … Herewith the invaluable sheets。 They came
months after your letter； and I trembled； but here they are； and I
have scrawled my vile name on them； and 'thocht shame' as I did it。
I am expecting the sheets of your catalogue； so that I may attack
the preface。 Please give me all the time you can。 The sooner the
better； you might even send me early proofs as they are sent out；
to give me more incubation。 I used to write as slow as judgment；
now I write rather fast； but I am still 'a slow study；' and sit a
long while silent on my eggs。 Unconscious thought； there is the
only method： macerate your subject； let it boil slow； then take
the lid off and look in … and there your stuff is； good or bad。
But the journalist's method is the way to manufacture lies； it is
will…worship … if you know the luminous quaker phrase； and the will
is only to be brought in the field for study； and again for
revision。 The essential part of work is not an act； it is a state。
I do not know why I write you this trash。
Many thanks for your handsome dedication。 I have not yet had time
to do more than glance at Mrs。 Begg； it looks interesting。 … Yours
very truly；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO MISS ANNIE H。 IDE
VAILIMA； SAMOA ＇NOVEMBER 1891＇。
MY DEAR LOUISA； … Your picture of the church； the photograph of
yourself and your sister； and your very witty and pleasing letter；
came all in a bundle； and made me feel I had my money's worth for
that birthday。 I am now； I must be； one of your nearest relatives；
exactly what we are to each other； I do not know； I doubt if the
case has ever happened before … your papa ought to know； and I
don't believe he does； but I think I ought to call you in the
meanwhile； and until we get the advice of counsel learned in the
law； my name…daughter。 Well； I was extremely pleased to see by the
church that my name…daughter could draw； by the letter； that she
was no fool； and by the photograph； that she was a pretty girl；
which hurts nothing。 See how virtues are rewarded！ My first idea
of adopting you was entirely charitable； and here I find that I am
quite proud of it； and of you； and that I chose just the kind of
name…daughter I wanted。 For I can draw too； or rather I mean to
say I could before I forgot how； and I am very far from being a
fool myself； however much I may look it； and I am as beautiful as
the day； or at least I once hoped that perhaps I might be going to
be。 And so I might。 So that you see we are well met； and peers on
these important points。 I am VERY glad also that you are older
than your sister。 So should I have been； if I had had one。 So
that the number of points and virtues which you have inherited from
your name…father is already quite surprising。
I wish you would tell your father … not that I like to encourage my
rival … that we have had a wonderful time here of late； and that
they are having a cold day on Mulinuu； and the consuls are writing
reports； and I am writing to the TIMES； and if we don't get rid of
our friends this time I shall begin to despair of everything but my
name…daughter。
You are quite wrong as to the effect of the birthday on your age。
From the moment the deed was registered （as it was in the public
press with every solemnity）； the 13th of November became your own
AND ONLY birthday； and you ceased to have been born on Christmas
Day。 Ask your father： I am sure he will tell you this is sound
law。 You are thus become a month and twelve days younger than you
were； but will go on growing older for the future in the regular
and human manner from one 13th November to the next。 The effect on
me is more doubtful； I may； as you suggest； live for ever； I might；
on the other hand； come to pieces like the one…horse shay at a
moment's notice； doubtless the step was risky； but I do not the
least regret that which enables me to sign myself your revered and
delighted name…father；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO FRED ORR
VAILIMA； UPOLU； SAMOA； NOVEMBER 28TH； 1891。
DEAR SIR； … Your obliging communication is to hand。 I am glad to
find that you have read some of my books； and to see that you spell
my name right。 This is a point （for some reason） of great
difficulty； and I believe that a gentleman who can spell Stevenson
with a v at sixteen； should have a show for the Presidency before
fifty。 By that time
I； nearer to the wayside inn；
predict that you will have outgrown your taste for autographs； but
perhaps your son may have inherited the collection； and on the
morning of the great day will recall my prophecy to your mind。 And
in the papers of 1921 （say） this letter may arouse a smile。
Whatever you do； read something else besides novels and newspapers；
the first are good enough when they are good； the second； at their
best； are worth nothing。 Read great books of literature and
history； try to understand the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages； be
sure you do not understand when you dislike them； condemnation is
non…comprehension。 And if you know something of these two periods；
you will know a little more about to…day； and may be a good
President。
I send you my best wishes； and am yours；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON；
AUTHOR OF A VAST QUANTITY OF LITTLE BOOKS。
Letter： TO E。 L。 BURLINGAME
＇VAILIMA； DECEMBER 1891。＇
MY DEAR BURLINGAME； … The end of THE WRECKER having but just come
in； you will； I dare say； be appalled to receive three （possibly
four） chapters of a new book of the least attractive sort： a
history of nowhere in a corner； for no time to mention； running to
a volume！ Well； it may very likely be an illusion； it is very
likely no one could possibly wish to read it； but I wish to publish
it。 If you don't cotton to the idea； kindly set it up at my
expense； and let me know your terms for publishing。 The great
affair to me is to have per return （if it might be） four or five …
better say half a dozen … sets of the roughest proofs that can be
drawn。 There are a good many men here whom I want to read the
blessed thing； and not one would have the energy to read MS。 At
the same time； if you care to glance at it； and have the time； I
should be very glad of your opinion as to whether I have made any
step at all towards possibly inducing folk at home to read matter
so extraneous and outlandish。 I become heavy and owlish； years sit
upon me； it begins to seem to me to be a man's business to leave
off his damnable faces and say his say。 Else I could have made it
pungent and light and lively。 In considering； kindly forget that I
am R。 L。 S。； think of the four chapters as a book you are reading；
by an inhabitant of our 'lovely but fatil' islands； and see if it
could possibly amuse the hebetated public。 I have to publish
anyway； you understand； I have a purpose beyond； I am concerned for
some of the parties to this quarrel。 What I want to hear is from
curiosity； what I want you to judge of is what we are to do with
the book in a business sense。 To me it is not business at all； I
had meant originally to lay all the profits to the credit of Samoa；
when it comes to the pinch of writing； I judge this unfair … I give
too much … and I mean to keep （if there be any profit at all） one…
half for the artisan； the rest I shall hold over to give to t