robert louis stevenson-第23章
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ted in robbing us and the world of yet greater works than we have had from his hands。 He was but condemning himself when he wrote some of the detractory things he did in the PALL MALL MAGAZINE about the EDINBURGH EDITION； etc。 Men are mirrors in which they see each other： Henley； after all； painted himself much more effectively in that now notorious PALL MALL MAGAZINE article than he did R。 L。 Stevenson。 Such is the penalty men too often pay for wreaking paltry revenges … writing under morbid memories and narrow and petty grievances … they not only fail in truth and impartiality； but inscribe a kind of grotesque parody of themselves in their effort to make their subject ridiculous； as he did； for example； about the name Lewis=Louis； and various other things。
R。 L。 Stevenson's fate was to be a casuistic and mystic moralist at bottom； and could not help it； while； owing to some kink or twist； due； perhaps； mainly to his earlier sufferings； and the teachings he then received； he could not help giving it always a turn to what he himself called 〃tail…foremost〃 or inverted morality； and it was not till near the close that he fully awakened to the fact that here he was false to the truest canons at once of morality and life and art； and that if he pursued this course his doom was； and would be； to make his endings 〃disgrace； or perhaps； degrade his beginnings；〃 and that no true and effective dramatic unity and effect and climax was to be gained。 Pity that he did so much on this perverted view of life and world and art： and well it is that he came to perceive it； even though almost too late：… certainly too late for that full presentment of that awful yet gladdening presence of a God's power and equity in this seeming tangled web of a world； the idea which inspired Robert Browning as well as Wordsworth； when he wrote； and gathered it up into a few lines in PIPPA PASSES：
〃The year's at the spring； And day's at the morn； Morning's at seven； The hillsides dew…pearled；
The lark's on the wing； The snail's on the thorn： God's in His heaven； All's right with the world。
。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。
〃All service ranks the same with God； If now； as formerly he trod Paradise； His presence fills Our earth； each only as God wills Can work … God's puppets best and worst； Are we； there is no last or first。〃
It shows what he might have accomplished； had longer life been but allowed him。
CHAPTER XVI … STEVENSON'S GLOOM
THE problem of Stevenson's gloom cannot be solved by any commonplace cut…and…dried process。 It will remain a problem only unless （1） his original dreamy tendency crossed； if not warped； by the fatalistic Calvinism which was drummed into him by father； mother； and nurse in his tender years； is taken fully into account； then （2） the peculiar action on such a nature of the unsatisfying and； on the whole； distracting effect of the bohemian and hail… fellow…well…met sort of ideal to which he yielded； and which has to be charged with much； and （3） the conflict in him of a keenly social animus with a very strong egotistical effusiveness； fed by fancy； and nourished by the enforced solitariness inevitable in the case of one who； from early years up； suffered from painful； and even crushing； disease。
His text and his sermon … which may be shortly summed in the following sentence … be kind； for in kindness to others lies the only true pleasure to be gained in life； be cheerful； even to the point of egotistic self…satisfaction； for through cheerfulness only is the flow of this incessant kindliness of thought and service possible。 He was not in harmony with the actual effect of much of his creative work； though he illustrated this in his life； as few men have done。 He regarded it as the highest duty of life to give pleasure to others； his art in his own idea thus became in an unostentatious way consecrated； and while he would not have claimed to be a seer； any more than he would have claimed to be a saint； as he would have held in contempt a mere sybarite； most certainly a vein of unblamable hedonism pervaded his whole philosophy of life。 Suffering constantly； he still was always kindly。 He encouraged； as Mr Gosse has said； this philosophy by every resource open to him。 In practical life； all who knew him declared that he was brightness； naive fancy； and sunshine personified； and yet he could not help always； somehow； infusing into his fiction a pronounced； and sometimes almost fatal； element of gloom。 Even in his own case they were not pleasure…giving and failed thus in essence。 Some wise critic has said that no man can ever write well creatively of that in which in his early youth he had no knowledge。 Always behind Stevenson's latest exercises lies the shadow of this as an unshifting background； which by art may be relieved； but never refined away wholly。 He cannot escape from it if he would。 Here； too； as George MacDonald has neatly and nicely said： We are the victims of our own past； and often a hand is put forth upon us from behind and draws us into life backward。 Here was Stevenson； with his half…hedonistic theories of life； the duty of giving pleasure； of making eyes brighter； and casting sunshine around one wherever one went； yet the creator of gloom for us； when all the world was before him where to choose。 This fateful shadow pursued him to the end； often giving us； as it were； the very justificative ground for his own father's despondency and gloom； which the son rather too decisively reproved； while he might have sympathised with it in a stranger； and in that most characteristic letter to his mother； which we have quoted； said that it made his father often seem； to him； to be ungrateful … 〃HAS THE MAN NO GRATITUDE？〃 Two selves thus persistently and constantly struggled in Stevenson。 He was from this point of view； indeed； his own Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde； the buoyant； self…enjoying； because pleasure…conferring； man； and at the same time the helpless yet fascinating 〃dark interpreter〃 of the gloomy and gloom…inspiring side of life； viewed from the point of view of dominating character and inherited influence。 When he reached out his hand with desire of pleasure…conferring； lo and behold； as he wrote； a hand from his forefathers was stretched out； and he was pulled backward； so that； as he has confessed； his endings were apt to shame； perhaps to degrade； the beginnings。 Here is something pointing to the hidden and secret springs that feed the deeper will and bend it to their service。 Individuality itself is but a mirror； which by its inequalities transforms things to odd shapes。 Hawthorne confessed to something of this sort。 He； like Stevenson； suffered much in youth； if not from disease then through accident； which kept him long from youthful company。 At a time when he should have been running free with other boys； he had to be lonely； reading what books he could lay his hands on； mostly mournful and puritanic； by the borders of lone Sebago Lake。 He that hath once in youth been touched by this Marah…rod of bitterness will not easily escape from it； when he essays in later years to paint life and the world as he sees them； nay； the hand； when he deems himself freest； will be laid upon him from behind； if not to pull him； as MacDonald has said； into life backward； then to make him a mournful witness of having once been touched by the Marah…rod； whose bitterness again declares itself and wells out its bitterness when set even in the rising and the stirring of the waters。
Such is our view of the 〃gloom〃 of Stevenson … a gloom which well might have justified something of his father's despondency。 He struggles in vain to escape from it … it narrows； it fatefully hampers and limits the free field of his art； lays upon it a strange atmosphere； fascinating； but not favourable to true dramatic breadth and force； and spontaneous natural simplicity； invariably lending a certain touch of weakness； inconsistency； and inconclusiveness to his endings； so that he himself could too often speak of them afterwards as apt to 〃shame； perhaps to degrade； the beginnings。〃 This is what true dra
