Show 1 r What Wt W t W Wa t theReal the theReal 9 I IE I E. E Real a. a S Stevenson evenson I O BOSTON Dec Dee I. I Everybody I.-Everybody has r read ead j Treasure re ure Island that tt unforgettable unforgettable blood g gettable romance romance of ot fire ire and knows a and nd treasure Everybody a bout about its its' author at Everybody ws for or example t that hat in his bo y ravaged by tuberculosis tuber tuber- c there dwelt the courage of ofa a Sir Galahad the patience under tinder affliction a of a t saint that his nu numberless num nurn- I b berless esso essays essay's rs are filled with a p pure e ean an nd philosophy that have been een t the he solace olACe 43 of i coun countless less less' wea weary y souls souIs T Is' Is t unquestioned ned Everybody Knows one would wO say aY t that hat he was vas th the exemplar In fn his own I lif if of of those Sahi Virtu Virtues s shining t through so 6 m much cn Of his this writings everybody dy knows knows' that In fn his hiS- charac character charad- charad t ter rand and conduct he w mot model 1 of J I j perfection n. n But Sut do they A s shattering blow has been at the imaginary figure re of fl flawless sup superhuman r umari virtue which h has s b been en ena i a set up t t. tup up for r f r blind unquestioning I worship to quote the of the theman man who is responsible He is JohnA John I A. A start can author of note who iw has written l Louis Stevenson A Critical published by by Little LittI Co There are whom the act appear as one of oi sac sac- Io does does' Mr Ste Steuart artt a am aman m man of the most solid in English literary y circles accomplish it t and how does he lie Justify of tie blind faith of of the them Rob Robert m multitudes of worshipers of ert eif Louis Stevenson Iere IS what he declares Steven son has left behind such an example of f courage amid difficulties a th must st continue to m- m spire men nen to remote 3 generations A PUBLIC SCANDAL But Stevenson But in his younger days before hi marriage andal of all all all' Edinburgh hiS hiS' his na na- na tive city city city-by by Isis his eccentric b behavior his 1113 flouting of all hl co convention his brazen defiance of d fiance all ant amT morals The dourly r grimly pious among whom bl his father stood in high place plade of of that ancient nl Scotch c center of Calvinism Cal Cal Calvinism and learning learning- were wei- wilfully affronted by him times times without Were Here is a a description of t he as was wa's was at time the he was he-was yas studying law hiving pre previously previously pre pre- abandoned the family prof pro pro- f of engineering just when he was apparently on the road to dis distinction In that pursuit appearance then was was ridi ridiculed by the te wits as a. a a lend of the quack the gipsy and the Punch Punch- and and- udy ap-udy udy man 1 the latter pre pr- dominating in In aress he wa was more and more even defiantly negligent The long hair tossed by bythe bythe the the antique straw straw- hat set I at aA an angle nant to o j e rakish bub t. t iii in realy merely clownish the lank jointed figure as of an an ani animate tn- tn mate skeleton flaunting itself in 1 inthe the day the general air of queerness and affectation affectation al this seemed an outrage a a. studied studied- insult to Edinburgh respectability Jn Inthe the street people as as- ashe he passed Or stood staring staring-In and de derision derision de- de Behind his back people tapped their foreheads significantly whispering suggestive things about a s vacancy ncy in Its tIle the Such incidents recalled today are the tbs foibles foible's s of genius then however they they- were the ebullitions of an in insufferable insufferable in- in sufferable If f not actually at ally Insane egotism posing in ludicrous And what his vas va's his life at this 5 I time MODEL 9 His ms particular model mode zut that time in conduct if not not-iri art was WhiS the starred ill Robert who was the avowed d laureate of low life and according to his biographers raphers apers died of debauchery at three three- and Stevenson be believe believed be- be lieve self himself to be a reincarnation f If Ifa a novelist must quality qualify for writing of bf low lowlife life by first firt- living it it- tb then n Robert Louis ouis Stevenson must have ye been one of tf the most highly 1 qualified novelists of his of-his his yet And Andy t at just the time that Stevenson was va being tortured by doubts and was torturing tot tor turing stilt still more nore the feelings feelings' of his rit by declaring that his con con- t permit him hini to profess profess pro pro- fess fes's fessa a z religious he be did not feel As Steuart says While the people at Number 17 Heriot Row his home brooded and grieved over and infidelity the and infidel was passing pass e de hours with his s 's te n-te chimney sweeps wilS thieves and aIla their kind and gentle w e folk Th r ris is fot ly ironical in inthe inthe the situation may even find in it an unmistakable foretaste of Jekyll and X is one OtIs OtIs- answer to the v exists in inthe the life of o Robert Louis Lons lit litone one one aspect fi fop many yea years his 1 marriage a a person per per- son to tb be shunned by good people afraid of f having their reputations by contact contact- with him in inthe the trie other he wa waif the wise vise gentle and and- genial philosopher writing words of staunchest optimism from the in which he spent so sq much much- of his life for the comfort In mind alike KNOW V E. E. E To know all s to forgive al all Steuart quotes quote's hd ld pencil proverb and I believe there hay been een few men o of Betters etts in M ge nt times to whom that sage and pene penetrating i aUae with fit fitness f it- it ness than to ll rt Louis Louis' Steven son Fortunately for for forus us' us usall all the final is not o now much there may may oe be to praise And what is the th final filial judgment of this biographer after having presented impartially as tile the bi biographer bi- bi of great men hien should so much data data wl ich liis family f for or yeas years after his his' death successfully prevented frOth from reaching the public at large data whose concealment has fostered a universal conception w of Stevenson T Ait wAA ris co uJ rf oil w T Ait wAA co uJ the virtues virtues' and promoted in senti sentimental mental spinsters o of both as Steuart calls them an an admiration for Stevenson approaching idolatry idolatry idola idola- try Here it is I have tried to show how Ste Stevenson Stevenson Ste- Ste venson lived fared and did his work in n what disabling conditions with what interruptions Alike in quantity and quality the work he accomplished is amazing and all things considered is so far fas faras as 1 know parallel In the whole history o ot English literature there does not shine a braver more devoted spirit than Robert Louis Stevenson When s' Robert Louis Stevenson is summed up when his qualities mental and hd moral norai have bees and tabulated it will n willbe be that a a superb courage crowns all ft that master master- it i quality flows almost as is a e of course other virtues in he was tas conspicuous chivalry chiv g love of justice an art a. a passion Cor or t tho us' Of tHe race Criticism may ml him im the tise title great it ii ml that he was bravel brave l |