robert louis stevenson-第3章

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'Broad…gazing　on　untrodden　lands；　See　where　adventurous　Cortez　stands；　While　in　the　heavens　above　his　head；　The　eagle　seeks　its　daily　bread。　How　aptly　fact　to　fact　replies；　Heroes　and　eagles；　hills　and　skies。　Ye；　who　contemn　the　fatted　slave；　Look　on　this　emblem　and　be　brave。〃


Another；　THE　ELEPHANT；　has　these　lines　…


〃See　in　the　print　how；　moved　by　whim；　Trumpeting　Jumbo；　great　and　grim；　Adjusts　his　trunk；　like　a　cravat；　To　noose　that　individual's　hat；　The　Sacred　Ibis　in　the　distance；　　Joys　to　observe　his　bold　resistance。〃


R。　L。　Stevenson　wrote　from　Davos　Platz；　in　sending　me　THE　BLACK　　CANYON：


〃Sam　sends　as　a　present　a　work　of　his　own。　　I　hope　you　feel　　flattered；　for　THIS　IS　SIMPLY　THE　FIRST　TIME　HE　HAS　EVER　GIVEN　ONE　　AWAY。　　I　have　to　buy　my　own　works；　I　can　tell　you。〃


Later　he　said；　in　sending　a　second：


〃I　own　I　have　delayed　this　letter　till　I　could　forward　the　　enclosed。　　Remembering　the　night　at　Braemar；　when　we　visited　the　　picture…gallery；　I　hope　it　may　amuse　you：　　you　see　we　do　some　　publishing　hereaway。〃


Delightfully　suggestive　and　highly　enjoyable；　too；　were　the　　meetings　in　the　little　drawing…room　after　dinner；　when　the　　contrasted　traits　of　father　and　son　came　into　full　play　…　when　R。　　L。　Stevenson　would　sometimes　draw　out　a　new　view　by　bold；　half…　paradoxical　assertion；　or　compel　advance　on　the　point　from　a　new　　quarter　by　a　searching　question　couched　in　the　simplest　language；　　or　reveal　his　own　latest　conviction　finally；　by　a　few　sentences　as　　nicely　rounded　off　as　though　they　had　been　written；　while　he　rose　　and　gently　moved　about；　as　his　habit　was；　in　the　course　of　those　　more　extended　remarks。　　Then　a　chapter　or　two　of　THE　SEA…COOK　would　　be　read；　with　due　pronouncement　on　the　main　points　by　one　or　other　　of　the　family　audience。

The　reading　of　the　book　is　one　thing。　　It　was　quite　another　thing　　to　hear　Stevenson　as　he　stood　reading　it　aloud；　with　his　hand　　stretched　out　holding　the　manuscript；　and　his　body　gently　swaying　　as　a　kind　of　rhythmical　commentary　on　the　story。　　His　fine　voice；　　clear　and　keen　it　some　of　its　tones；　had　a　wonderful　power　of　　inflection　and　variation；　and　when　he　came　to　stand　in　the　place　of　　Silver　you　could　almost　have　imagined　you　saw　the　great　one…legged　　John　Silver；　joyous…eyed；　on　the　rolling　sea。　　Yes；　to　read　it　in　　print　was　good；　but　better　yet　to　hear　Stevenson　read　it。



CHAPTER　II　…　TREASURE　ISLAND　AND　SOME　REMINISCENCES



WHEN　I　left　Braemar；　I　carried　with　me　a　considerable　portion　of　　the　MS。　of　TREASURE　ISLAND；　with　an　outline　of　the　rest　of　the　　story。　　It　originally　bore　the　odd　title　of　THE　SEA…COOK；　and；　as　I　　have　told　before；　I　showed　it　to　Mr　Henderson；　the　proprietor　of　　the　YOUNG　FOLKS'　PAPER；　who　came　to　an　arrangement　with　Mr　　Stevenson；　and　the　story　duly　appeared　in　its　pages；　as　well　as　the　　two　which　succeeded　it。

Stevenson　himself　in　his　article　in　THE　IDLER　for　August　1894　　（reprinted　in　MY　FIRST　BOOK　volume　and　in　a　late　volume　of　the　　EDINBURGH　EDITION）　has　recalled　some　of　the　circumstances　connected　　with　this　visit　of　mine　to　Braemar；　as　it　bore　on　the　destination　　of　TREASURE　ISLAND：


〃And　now；　who　should　come　dropping　in；　EX　MACHINA；　but　Dr　Japp；　　like　the　disguised　prince；　who　is　to　bring　down　the　curtain　upon　　peace　and　happiness　in　the　last　act；　for　he　carried　in　his　pocket；　　not　a　horn　or　a　talisman；　but　a　publisher；　in　fact；　ready　to　　unearth　new　writers　for　my　old　friend　Mr　Henderson's　YOUNG　FOLKS。　　　Even　the　ruthlessness　of　a　united　family　recoiled　before　the　　extreme　measure　of　inflicting　on　our　guest　the　mutilated　members　of　　THE　SEA…COOK；　at　the　same　time；　we　would　by　no　means　stop　our　　readings；　and　accordingly　the　tale　was　begun　again　at　the　　beginning；　and　solemnly　redelivered　for　the　benefit　of　Dr　Japp。　　　From　that　moment　on；　I　have　thought　highly　of　his　critical　faculty；　　for　when　he　left　us；　he　carried　away　the　manuscript　in　his　　portmanteau。

〃TREASURE　ISLAND　…　it　was　Mr　Henderson　who　deleted　the　first　title；　　THE　SEA…COOK　…　appeared　duly　in　YOUNG　FOLKS；　where　it　figured　in　　the　ignoble　midst　without　woodcuts；　and　attracted　not　the　least　　attention。　　I　did　not　care。　　I　liked　the　tale　myself；　for　much　the　　same　reason　as　my　father　liked　the　beginning：　　it　was　my　kind　of　　picturesque。　　I　was　not　a　little　proud　of　John　Silver　also；　and　to　　this　day　rather　admire　that　smooth　and　formidable　adventurer。　　What　　was　infinitely　more　exhilarating；　I　had　passed　a　landmark。　　I　had　　finished　a　tale　and　written　The　End　upon　my　manuscript；　as　I　had　　not　done　since　THE　PENTLAND　RISING；　when　I　was　a　boy　of　sixteen；　　not　yet　at　college。　　In　truth；　it　was　so　by　a　lucky　set　of　　accidents：　　had　not　Dr　Japp　come　on　his　visit；　had　not　the　tale　　flowed　from　me　with　singular　ease；　it　must　have　been　laid　aside；　　like　its　predecessors；　and　found　a　circuitous　and　unlamented　way　to　　the　fire。　　Purists　may　suggest　it　would　have　been　better　so。　　I　am　　not　of　that　mind。　　The　tale　seems　to　have　given　much　pleasure；　and　　it　brought　（or　was　the　means　of　bringing）　fire；　food；　and　wine　to　a　　deserving　family　in　which　I　took　an　interest。　　I　need　scarcely　say　　I　mean　my　own。〃


He　himself　gives　a　goodly　list　of　the　predecessors　which　had　found　　a　circuitous　and　unlamented　way　to　the　fire


〃As　soon　as　I　was　able　to　write；　I　became　a　good　friend　to　the　　paper…makers。　　Reams　upon　reams　must　have　gone　to　the　making　of　　RATHILLET；　THE　PENTLAND　RISING；　THE　KING'S　PARDON　（otherwise　PARK　　WHITEHEAD）；　EDWARD　DAVEN；　A　COUNTRY　DANCE；　and　A　VENDETTA　IN　THE　　WEST。　　RATHILLET　was　attempted　before　fifteen；　THE　VENDETTA　at　　twenty…nine；　and　the　succession　of　defeats　lasted　unbroken　till　I　　was　thirty…one。〃


Another　thing　I　carried　from　Braemar　with　me　which　I　greatly　prize　　…　this　was　a　copy　of　CHRISTIANITY　CONFIRMED　BY　JEWISH　AND　HEATHEN　　TESTIMONY；　by　Mr　Stevenson's　father；　with　his　autograph　signature　　and　many　of　his　own　marginal　notes。　　He　had　thought　deeply　on　many　　subjects　…　theological；　scientific；　and　social　…　and　had　recorded；　　I　am　afraid；　but　the　smaller　half　of　his　thoughts　and　speculations。　　　Several　days　in　the　mornings；　before　R。　L。　Stevenson　was　able　to　　face　the　somewhat　〃snell〃　air　of　the　hills；　I　had　long　walks　with　　the　old　gentleman；　when　we　also　had　long　talks　on　many　subjects　…　　the　liberalising　of　the　Scottish　Church；　educational　reform；　etc。；　　and；　on　one　occasion；　a　statement　of　his　reason；　because　of　the　　subscription；　for　never　having　become　an　elder。　　That　he　had　in　　some　small　measure　enjoyed　my　society；　as　I　certainly　had　much　　enjoyed　his；　was　borne　out　by　a　letter　which　I　received　from　the　　son　in　reply　to　one　I　had　written；　saying　that　surely　his　father　　had　never　meant　to　present　me　at　the　last　moment　on　my　leaving　by　　coach　with　that　volume；　with　his　name　on　it；　and　with　pencilled　　notes　here　and　there；　but　had　merely　given　it　me　to　read　and　　return。　　In　the　circumstances　I　may　perhaps　be　excused　quoting　from　　a　letter　dated　Castleton　of　Braemar；　September　1881；　in　　illustration　of　what　I　have　said　…


〃MY　DEAR　DR　JAPP；　…　My　father　has　gone；　but　I　think　I　may　take　it　　upon　me　to　ask　you　to　keep　the　book。　　Of　all　things　you　could　do　to　　endear　yourself　to　me　you　have　done　the　best；　for；　from　your　　letter；　you　have　taken　a　fancy　to　my　father。

〃I　do　not　know　how　to　thank　you　for　your　kind　trouble　in　the　matter　　of　THE　SEA…COOK；　but　I　am　not　unmindful。　　My　health　is　still　　poorly；　and　I　have　added　intercostal　rheumatism　…　a　new　attraction；　　which　sewed　me　up　nearly　double　for　two　days；　and　still　gives　me　'a　　list　to　starboard'　…　let　us　be　ever　nautical。　。　。　。　I　do　not　think　　with　the　start　I　have；　there　will　be　any　difficulty　in　letting　Mr　　Henderson　go　ahead　whenever　he　likes。　　I　will　write　my　story　up　to　　its　legitimate　conclusion；　and　then　we　shall　be　in　a　position　to　　judge　whether　a　sequel　would　be　desirable；　and　I　myself　would　then　　know　better　about　its　practicability　from　the　story…telling　point　　of　view。　…　Yours　very　sincerely；　ROBERT　LOUIS　STEVENSON。〃


A　little　later　came　the　following：…


〃THE　COTTAGE；　CASTLETON　OF　BRAEMAR。　　（NO　DATE。）

〃MY　DEAR　DR　JAPP；　…　Herewith　go　nine　chapters。　　I　have　been　a　　little　seedy；　and　the　two　last　that　I　have　written　seem　to　me