贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > robert louis stevenson >

第5章

robert louis stevenson-第5章

小说: robert louis stevenson 字数: 每页4000字

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!



nsive; and dispensed in the most hidden and secret ways。  He  acted here on the Scripture direction; 〃Let not thy left hand know  what thy right hand doeth。〃  He was much exercised when I saw him  about some defects; as he held; in the methods of Scotch education  (for he was a true lover of youth; and cared more for character  being formed than for heads being merely crammed)。  Sagacious; with  fine forecast; with a high ideal; and yet up to a certain point a  most tolerant temper; he was a fine specimen of the Scottish  gentleman。  His son tells that; as he was engaged in work  calculated to benefit the world and to save life; he would not for  long take out a patent for his inventions; and thus lost immense  sums。  I can well believe that:  it seems quite in keeping with my  impressions of the man。  There was nothing stolid or selfishly  absorbed in him。  He bore the marks of deep; true; honest feeling;  true benevolence; and open…handed generosity; and despite the son's  great pen…craft; and inventive power; would have forgiven my saying  that sometimes I have had a doubt whether the father was not; after  all; the greater man of the two; though certainly not; like the  hero of IN MEMORIAM; moulded 〃in colossal calm。〃

In theological matters; in which Thomas Stevenson had been much and  deeply exercised; he held very strong views; leading decisively to  ultra…Calvinism; but; as I myself could well sympathise with such  views; if I did not hold them; knowing well the strange ways in  which they had gone to form grand; if sometimes sternly forbidding  characters; there were no cross…purposes as there might have been  with some on that subject。  And always I felt I had an original  character and a most interesting one to study。

This is another very characteristic letter to me from Davos Platz:


〃CHALET BUOL; DAVOS; GRISONS; SWITZERLAND。  (NO DATE。)

〃MY DEAR DR JAPP; … You must think me a forgetful rogue; as indeed  I am; for I have but now told my publisher to send you a copy of  the FAMILIAR STUDIES。  However; I own I have delayed this letter  till I could send you the enclosed。  Remembering the night at  Braemar; when we visited the picture…gallery; I hoped they might  amuse you。

〃You see we do some publishing hereaway。

〃With kind regards; believe me; always yours faithfully; ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。〃

〃I shall hope to see you in town in May。〃


The enclosed was the second series of MORAL EMBLEMS; by R。 L。  Stevenson; printed by Samuel Osbourne。  My answer to this letter  brought the following:


〃CHALET…BUOL; DAVOS; APRIL 1st; 1882。

〃MY DEAR DR JAPP; … A good day to date this letter; which is; in  fact; a confession of incapacity。  During my wife's wretched  illness … or I should say the worst of it; for she is not yet  rightly well … I somewhat lost my head; and entirely lost a great  quire of corrected proofs。  This is one of the results:  I hope  there are none more serious。  I was never so sick of any volume as  I was of that; I was continually receiving fresh proofs with fresh  infinitesimal difficulties。  I was ill; I did really fear; for my  wife was worse than ill。  Well; 'tis out now; and though I have  already observed several carelessnesses myself; and now here is  another of your finding … of which indeed; I ought to be ashamed …  it will only justify the sweeping humility of the preface。

〃Symonds was actually dining with us when your letter came; and I  communicated your remarks; which pleased him。  He is a far better  and more interesting thing than his books。

〃The elephant was my wife's; so she is proportionately elate you  should have picked it out for praise from a collection; let us add;  so replete with the highest qualities of art。

〃My wicked carcass; as John Knox calls it; holds together  wonderfully。  In addition to many other things; and a volume of  travel; I find I have written since December ninety Cornhill pp。 of  Magazine work … essays and stories … 40;000 words; and I am none  the worse … I am better。  I begin to hope I may; if not outlive  this wolverine upon my shoulders; at least carry him bravely like  Symonds or Alexander Pope。  I begin to take a pride in that hope。

〃I shall be much interested to see your criticisms:  you might  perhaps send them on to me。  I believe you know that I am not  dangerous … one folly I have not … I am not touchy under criticism。

〃Sam and my wife both beg to be remembered; and Sam also sends as a  present a work of his own。 … Yours very sincerely; ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。〃


As indicating the estimate of many of the good Edinburgh people of  Stevenson and the Stevensons that still held sway up to so late a  date as 1893; I will here extract two characteristic passages from  the letters of the friend and correspondent of these days just  referred to; and to whom I had sent a copy of the ATALANTA  Magazine; with an article of mine on Stevenson。


〃If you can excuse the garrulity of age; I can tell you one or two  things about Louis Stevenson; his father and even his grandfather;  which you may work up some other day; as you have so deftly  embedded in the ATALANTA article that small remark on his acting。   Your paper is pleasant and modest:  most of R。 L。 Stevenson's  admirers are inclined to lay it on far too thick。  That he is a  genius we all admit; but his genius; if fine; is limited。  For  example; he cannot paint (or at least he never has painted) a  woman。  No more could Fettes Douglas; skilful artist though he was  in his own special line; and I shall tell you a remark of Russel's  thereon some day。 (4)  There are women in his books; but there is  none of the beauty and subtlety of womanhood in them。

〃R。 L。 Stevenson I knew well as a lad and often met him and talked  with him。  He acted in private theatricals got up by the late  Professor Fleeming Jenkin。  But he had then; as always; a pretty  guid conceit o' himsel' … which his clique have done nothing to  check。  His father and his grandfather (I have danced with his  mother before her marriage) I knew better; but 'the family  theologian;' as some of R。 L。 Stevenson's friends dabbed his  father; was a very touchy theologian; and denounced any one who in  the least differed from his extreme Calvinistic views。  I came  under his lash most unwittingly in this way myself。  But for this  twist; he was a good fellow … kind and hospitable … and a really  able man in his profession。  His father…in…law; R。 L。 Stevenson's  maternal grandfather; was the Rev。 Dr Balfour; minister of Colinton  … one of the finest…looking old men I ever saw … tall; upright; and  ruddy at eighty。  But he was marvellously feeble as a preacher; and  often said things that were deliciously; unconsciously;  unintentionally laughable; if not witty。  We were near Colinton for  some years; and Mr Russell (of the SCOTSMAN); who once attended the  Parish Church with us; was greatly tickled by Balfour discoursing  on the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife; remarking that Mrs P…'s  conduct was 'highly improper'!〃

The estimate of R。 L。 Stevenson was not and could not be final in  this case; for WEIR OF HERMISTON and CATRIONA were yet unwritten;  not to speak of others; but the passages reflect a certain side of  Edinburgh opinion; illustrating the old Scripture doctrine that a  prophet has honour everywhere but in his own country。  And the  passages themselves bear evidence that I violate no confidence  then; for they were given to me to be worked into any after…effort  I might make on Stevenson。  My friend was a good and an acute  critic who had done some acceptable literary work in his day。



CHAPTER III … THE CHILD FATHER OF THE MAN



R。 L。 STEVENSON was born on 13th November 1850; the very year of  the death of his grandfather; Robert Stevenson; whom he has so  finely celebrated。  As a mere child he gave token of his character。   As soon as he could read; he was keen for books; and; before very  long; had read all the story…books he could lay hands on; and; when  the stock ran out; he would go and look in at all the shop windows  within reach; and try to piece out the stories from the bits  exposed in open pages and the woodcuts。

He had a nurse of very remarkable character … evidently

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的