the letters-2-第29章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



paper　were　a　desirable　finish　to　the　number；　and　that　the　

substitutes　of　occasional　essays　by　occasional　contributors　somehow　

fail　to　fill　the　bill。　　Should　you　differ　with　me　on　this　point；　no　

more　is　to　be　said。　　And　what　follows　must　be　regarded　as　lost　

words。



2nd。　　I　am　rather　taken　with　the　idea　of　continuing　the　work。　　For　

instance；　should　you　have　no　distaste　for　papers　of　the　class　

called　RANDOM　MEMORIES；　I　should　enjoy　continuing　them　（of　course　

at　intervals）；　and　when　they　were　done　I　have　an　idea　they　might　

make　a　readable　book。　　On　the　other　hand；　I　believe　a　greater　

freedom　of　choice　might　be　taken；　the　subjects　more　varied　and　more　

briefly　treated；　in　somewhat　approaching　the　manner　of　Andrew　Lang　

in　the　SIGN　OF　THE　SHIP；　it　being　well　understood　that　the　broken　

sticks　method　is　one　not　very　suitable　（as　Colonel　Burke　would　say）　

to　my　genius；　and　not　very　likely　to　be　pushed　far　in　my　practice。　　

Upon　this　point　I　wish　you　to　condense　your　massive　brain。　　In　the　

last　lot　I　was　promised；　and　I　fondly　expected　to　receive；　a　vast　

amount　of　assistance　from　intelligent　and　genial　correspondents。　　I　

assure　you；　I　never　had　a　scratch　of　a　pen　from　any　one　above　the　

level　of　a　village　idiot；　except　once；　when　a　lady　sowed　my　head　

full　of　grey　hairs　by　announcing　that　she　was　going　to　direct　her　

life　in　future　by　my　counsels。　　Will　the　correspondents　be　more　

copious　and　less　irrelevant　in　the　future？　　Suppose　that　to　be　the　

case；　will　they　be　of　any　use　to　me　in　my　place　of　exile？　　Is　it　

possible　for　a　man　in　Samoa　to　be　in　touch　with　the　great　heart　of　

the　People？　　And　is　it　not　perhaps　a　mere　folly　to　attempt；　from　so　

hopeless　a　distance；　anything　so　delicate　as　a　series　of　papers？　　

Upon　these　points；　perpend；　and　give　me　the　results　of　your　

perpensions。



3rd。　　The　emolument　would　be　agreeable　to　your　humble　servant。



I　have　now　stated　all　the　PROS；　and　the　most　of　the　CONS　are　come　

in　by　the　way。　　There　follows；　however；　one　immense　Con　（with　a　

capital　'C'）；　which　I　beg　you　to　consider　particularly。　　I　fear　

that；　to　be　of　any　use　for　your　magazine；　these　papers　should　begin　

with　the　beginning　of　a　volume。　　Even　supposing　my　hands　were　free；　

this　would　be　now　impossible　for　next　year。　　You　have　to　consider　

whether；　supposing　you　have　no　other　objection；　it　would　be　worth　

while　to　begin　the　series　in　the　middle　of　a　volume；　or　desirable　

to　delay　the　whole　matter　until　the　beginning　of　another　year。



Now　supposing　that　the　CONS　have　it；　and　you　refuse　my　offer；　let　

me　make　another　proposal；　which　you　will　be　very　inclined　to　refuse　

at　the　first　off…go；　but　which　I　really　believe　might　in　time　come　

to　something。　　You　know　how　the　penny　papers　have　their　answers　to　

correspondents。　　Why　not　do　something　of　the　same　kind　for　the　

'culchawed'？　　Why　not　get　men　like　Stimson；　Brownell；　Professor　

James；　Goldwin　Smith；　and　others　who　will　occur　to　you　more　readily　

than　to　me；　to　put　and　to　answer　a　series　of　questions　of　

intellectual　and　general　interest；　until　at　last　you　should　have　

established　a　certain　standard　of　matter　to　be　discussed　in　this　

part　of　the　Magazine？



I　want　you　to　get　me　bound　volumes　of　the　Magazine　from　its　start。　　

The　Lord　knows　I　have　had　enough　copies；　where　they　are　I　know　not。　　

A　wandering　author　gathers　no　magazines。



THE　WRECKER　is　in　no　forrader　state　than　in　last　reports。　　I　have　

indeed　got　to　a　period　when　I　cannot　well　go　on　until　I　can　refresh　

myself　on　the　proofs　of　the　beginning。　　My　respected　collaborator；　

who　handles　the　machine　which　is　now　addressing　you；　has　indeed　

carried　his　labours　farther；　but　not；　I　am　led　to　understand；　with　

what　we　used　to　call　a　blessing；　at　least；　I　have　been　refused　a　

sight　of　his　latest　labours。　　However；　there　is　plenty　of　time　

ahead；　and　I　feel　no　anxiety　about　the　tale；　except　that　it　may　

meet　with　your　approval。



All　this　voyage　I　have　been　busy　over　my　TRAVELS；　which；　given　a　

very　high　temperature　and　the　saloon　of　a　steamer　usually　going　

before　the　wind；　and　with　the　cabins　in　front　of　the　engines；　has　

come　very　near　to　prostrating　me　altogether。　　You　will　therefore　

understand　that　there　are　no　more　poems。　　I　wonder　whether　there　

are　already　enough；　and　whether　you　think　that　such　a　volume　would　

be　worth　the　publishing？　　I　shall　hope　to　find　in　Sydney　some　

expression　of　your　opinion　on　this　point。　　Living　as　I　do　among　…　

not　the　most　cultured　of　mankind　（'splendidly　educated　and　perfect　

gentlemen　when　sober'）　…　I　attach　a　growing　importance　to　friendly　

criticisms　from　yourself。



I　believe　that　this　is　the　most　of　our　business。　　As　for　my　health；　

I　got　over　my　cold　in　a　fine　style；　but　have　not　been　very　well　of　

late。　　To　my　unaffected　annoyance；　the　blood…spitting　has　started　

again。　　I　find　the　heat　of　a　steamer　decidedly　wearing　and　trying　

in　these　latitudes；　and　I　am　inclined　to　think　the　superior　

expedition　rather　dearly　paid　for。　　Still；　the　fact　that　one　does　

not　even　remark　the　coming　of　a　squall；　nor　feel　relief　on　its　

departure；　is　a　mercy　not　to　be　acknowledged　without　gratitude。　　

The　rest　of　the　family　seem　to　be　doing　fairly　well；　both　seem　less　

run　down　than　they　were　on　the　EQUATOR；　and　Mrs。　Stevenson　very　

much　less　so。　　We　have　now　been　three　months　away；　have　visited　

about　thirty…five　islands；　many　of　which　were　novel　to　us；　and　some　

extremely　entertaining；　some　also　were　old　acquaintances；　and　

pleasant　to　revisit。　　In　the　meantime；　we　have　really　a　capital　

time　aboard　ship；　in　the　most　pleasant　and　interesting　society；　and　

with　（considering　the　length　and　nature　of　the　voyage）　an　excellent　

table。　　Please　remember　us　all　to　Mr。　Scribner；　the　young　chieftain　

of　the　house；　and　the　lady；　whose　health　I　trust　is　better。　　To　

Mrs。　Burlingame　we　all　desire　to　be　remembered；　and　I　hope　you　will　

give　our　news　to　Low；　St。　Gaudens；　Faxon；　and　others　of　the　

faithful　in　the　city。　　I　shall　probably　return　to　Samoa　direct；　

having　given　up　all　idea　of　returning　to　civilisation　in　the　

meanwhile。　　There；　on　my　ancestral　acres；　which　I　purchased　six　

months　ago　from　a　blind　Scots　blacksmith；　you　will　please　address　

me　until　further　notice。　　The　name　of　the　ancestral　acres　is　going　

to　be　Vailima；　but　as　at　the　present　moment　nobody　else　knows　the　

name；　except　myself　and　the　co…patentees；　it　will　be　safer；　if　less　

ambitious；　to　address　R。　L。　S。；　Apia；　Samoa。　　The　ancestral　acres　

run　to　upwards　of　three　hundred；　they　enjoy　the　ministrations　of　

five　streams；　whence　the　name。　　They　are　all　at　the　present　moment　

under　a　trackless　covering　of　magnificent　forest；　which　would　be　

worth　a　great　deal　if　it　grew　beside　a　railway　terminus。　　To　me；　as　

it　stands；　it　represents　a　handsome　deficit。　　Obliging　natives　from　

the　Cannibal　Islands　are　now　cutting　it　down　at　my　expense。　　You　

would　be　able　to　run　your　magazine　to　much　greater　advantage　if　the　

terms　of　authors　were　on　the　same　scale　with　those　of　my　cannibals。　　

We　have　also　a　house　about　the　size　of　a　manufacturer's　lodge。　　

'Tis　but　the　egg　of　the　future　palace；　over　the　details　of　which　on　

paper　Mrs。　Stevenson　and　I　have　already　shed　real　tears；　what　it　

will　be　when　it　comes　to　paying　for　it；　I　leave　you　to　imagine。　　

But　if　it　can　only　be　built　as　now　intended；　it　will　be　with　

genuine　satisfaction　and　a　growunded　pride　that　I　shall　welcome　you　

at　the　steps　of　my　Old　Colonial　Home；　when　you　land　from　the　

steamer　on　a　long…merited　holiday。　　I　speak　much　at　my　ease；　yet　I　

do　not　know；　I　may　be　now　an　outlaw；　a　bankrupt；　the　abhorred　of　

all　good　men。　　I　do　not　know；　you　probably　do。　　Has　Hyde　turned　

upon　me？　　Have　I　fallen；　like　Danvers　Carew？



It　is　suggested　to　me　that　you　might　like　to　know　what　will　be　my　

future　society。　　Three　consuls；　all　at　logger…heads　with　one　

another；　or　at　the　best　in　a　clique　of　two　against　one；　three　

different　sects　of　missionaries；　not　upon　the　best　of　terms；　and　

the　Catholics　and　Protestants　in　a　condition　of　unhealable　ill…

feeling　as　to　whether　a　wooden　drum　ought　or　ought　not　to　be　beaten　

to　announce　the　time　of　school。　　The　native　population；　very　

genteel；　very　songful；　very　agreeable；　very　good…looking；　

chronically　spoiling　for　a　fight　（a　circumstance　not　to　be　entirely　

neglected　in　the　design　of　the　palace）。　　As　for　the　white　

population　of　（technically；　'The　Beach'）；　I　don't　suppose　it　is　

possible　for　any　person　not　thoroughly　conversant　with　the　South　

Seas　to　form　the　smallest　conception　of　such　a　society；　with　its　

grog…shops；　its　apparently　unemployed　hangers…on；　its　merchants　of　

all　degrees　of　respectability　and　the　reverse。　　The　paper；　of　which　

I　must　really　send　you　a　copy　…　if　yours　were　really　a　live　

magazine；　you　would　have　an　exchange　with　the　editor：　　I　assure　

you；　it　has　of　late　contained　a　great　deal　of　matter　about　one　of　

your　contributors　…　rejoices　in　the　name　of　SAMOA　TIMES　AND　SOUTH　

SEA　ADVERTISER。　　The　advertisements　in　the　ADVERTISER　are　

permanent；　being　simply　subsidies　for　its　existence。　　A　dashing　

warfare　of　newspaper　correspondence　goes　on　between　the　various　

residents；　who　are　rather　fond　of　recurring　to　one　another's　

antecedents。　　But　when　all　is　said；　there　are　a　lot　of　very　nice；　

pleasant　people；　and　I　don't　know　that　Apia　is　very　much　worse　than　

half　a　hundred　towns　that　I　could　name。



ROBERT　LOUIS　STEVENSON。







Letter：　　TO　CHARLES　BAXTER







HOTEL　SEBASTOPOL；　NOUMEA；　AUGUST　1890。



MY　DEAR　CHARLES；　…　I　have　stayed　here　a　week　while　Lloyd　and　my　

wife　continue　to　voyage　in　the　JANET　NICOLL；　this　I　did；　partly　to　

see　the　convict　system；　partly　to　shorten　my　stay　in　the　extreme　

cold　…　hear　me　with　my　extreme！　MOI　QUI　SUIS　ORIGINAIRE　D'EDINBOURG　

…　of　Sydney　at　this　season。　　I　am　feeling　very　seedy；　utterly　

fatigued；　and　overborne　with　sleep。　　I　have　a　fine　old　gentleman　of　

a　doctor；　who　attends　and　cheers　and　entertains；　if　he　does　not　

cure　me；　but　even　with　his　ministrations　I　am　almost　incapable　of　

the　exertion　sufficient　for　this　letter；　and　I　am　really；　as　I　

write；　falling　down　with　sleep。　　What　is　necessary　to　say；　I　must　

try　to　say　shortly。　　Lloyd　goes　to　clear　out　our　establishments：　　

pray　keep　him　in　funds；　if　I　have　any；　if　I　have　not；　pray　try　to　

raise　them。　　Here　is　the　idea：　　to　install　ourselves；　at　the　risk　

of　bankruptcy；　in　Samoa。　　It　is　not　the　least　likely　it　will　pay　

（although　it　may）；　but　it　is　almost　certain　it　will　support　life；　

with　very　few　external　expenses。　　If　I　die；　it　will　be　an　endowment　

for　the　survivors；　at　least　for　my　wife　and　Lloyd；　and　my　mother；　

who　might　prefer　to　go　home；　has　her　own。　　Hence　I　believe　I　shall　

do　well　to　hurry　my　installation。　　The　letters　are　already　in　part　

done；　in　part　done　is　a　novel　for　Scribner；　in　the　course　of　the　

next　twe