Show precocious infant william lyon phelps tells this story about robert louis stevenson as ii 11 lu the cosmopolitanism of 0 russian character which professor phelps says is accountable in a measure for the international effect and influence of russian novels stevenson writing from mentone to his mother 7 january 1874 said we have two little russian girls with the yo of whom a little polyglot button of a three year old I 1 had the most laughable scene at lunch today todar she eald said something in jj italian which made everybody laugh very much after some exa nation she announced leal ical y to the who e table in german that I 1 was a madchen thi this hasty conclusion as to my sex she was led afterward to revise but her tier opinion was announced in a language quite unknown to me and probably russian to complete the scroll of her accomplishment accomplishments she said good by to me in very commendable english three days later stevenson added the little russian hid kid Is only two and a halt she speaks six languages |