robert louis stevenson-第8章

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ghland　clan　Macgregor；　the　kin　of　Rob　Roy。　　Stevenson　thus　　drew　in　Celtic　strains　from　both　sides　…　from　the　Balfours　and　the　　Stevensons　alike　…　and　in　his　strange；　dreamy；　beautiful；　and　often　　far…removed　fancies　we　have　the　finest　and　most　effective　witness　　of　it。〃

Mr　William　Archer；　in　his　own　characteristic　way；　has　brought　the　　inheritances　from　the　two　sides　of　the　house　into　more　direct　　contact　and　contrast　in　an　article　he　wrote　in　THE　DAILY　CHRONICLE　　on　the　appearance　of　the　LETTERS　TO　FAMILY　AND　FRIENDS。


〃These　letters　show；〃　he　says；　〃that　Stevenson's　was　not　one　of　　those　sunflower　temperaments　which　turn　by　instinct；　not　effort；　　towards　the　light；　and　are；　as　Mr　Francis　Thompson　puts　it；　　'heartless　and　happy；　lackeying　their　god。'　　The　strains　of　his　　heredity　were　very　curiously；　but　very　clearly；　mingled。　　It　may　　surprise　some　readers　to　find　him　speaking　of　'the　family　evil；　　despondency；'　but　he　spoke　with　knowledge。　　He　inherited　from　his　　father　not　only　a　stern　Scottish　intentness　on　the　moral　aspect　of　　life　（'I　would　rise　from　the　dead　to　preach'）；　but　a　marked　　disposition　to　melancholy　and　hypochondria。　　From　his　mother；　on　　the　other　hand；　he　derived；　along　with　his　physical　frailty；　a　　resolute　and　cheery　stoicism。　　These　two　elements　in　his　nature　　fought　many　a　hard　fight；　and　the　besieging　forces　from　without　…　　ill…health；　poverty；　and　at　one　time　family　dissensions　…　were　by　　no　means　without　allies　in　the　inner　citadel　of　his　soul。　　His　　spirit　was　courageous　in　the　truest　sense　of　the　word：　　by　effort　　and　conviction；　not　by　temperamental　insensibility　to　fear。　　It　is　　clear　that　there　was　a　period　in　his　life　（and　that　before　the　　worst　of　his　bodily　ills　came　upon　him）　when　he　was　often　within　　measurable　distance　of　Carlylean　gloom。　　He　was　twenty…four　when　he　　wrote　thus；　from　Swanston；　to　Mrs　Sitwell：

〃'It　is　warmer　a　bit；　but　my　body　is　most　decrepit；　and　I　can　just　　manage　to　be　cheery　and　tread　down　hypochondria　under　foot　by　work。　　　I　lead　such　a　funny　life；　utterly　without　interest　or　pleasure　　outside　of　my　work：　　nothing；　indeed；　but　work　all　day　long；　except　　a　short　walk　alone　on　the　cold　hills；　and　meals；　and　a　couple　of　　pipes　with　my　father　in　the　evening。　　It　is　surprising　how　it　suits　　me；　and　how　happy　I　keep。'


〃This　is　the　serenity　which　arises；　not　from　the　absence　of　　fuliginous　elements　in　the　character；　but　from　a　potent　smoke…　consuming　faculty；　and　an　inflexible　will　to　use　it。　　Nine　years　　later　he　thus　admonishes　his　backsliding　parent：


〃'MY　DEAR　MOTHER；　…　I　give　my　father　up。　　I　give　him　a　parable：　　　that　the　Waverley　novels　are　better　reading　for　every　day　than　the　　tragic　LIFE。　　And　he　takes　it　back…side　foremost；　and　shakes　his　　head；　and　is　gloomier　than　ever。　　Tell　him　that　I　give　him　up。　　I　　don't　want　no　such　a　parent。　　This　is　not　the　man　for　my　money。　　I　　do　not　call　that　by　the　name　of　religion　which　fills　a　man　with　　bile。　　I　write　him　a　whole　letter；　bidding　him　beware　of　extremes；　　and　telling　him　that　his　gloom　is　gallows…worthy；　and　I　get　back　an　　answer　…。　　Perish　the　thought　of　it。

〃'Here　am　I　on　the　threshold　of　another　year；　when；　according　to　　all　human　foresight；　I　should　long　ago　have　been　resolved　into　my　　elements：　　here　am　I；　who　you　were　persuaded　was　born　to　disgrace　　you　…　and；　I　will　do　you　the　justice　to　add；　on　no　such　　insufficient　grounds　…　no　very　burning　discredit　when　all　is　done；　　here　am　I　married；　and　the　marriage　recognised　to　be　a　blessing　of　　the　first　order。　　A1　at　Lloyd's。　　There　is　he；　at　his　not　first　　youth；　able　to　take　more　exercise　than　I　at　thirty…three；　and　　gaining　a　stone's　weight；　a　thing　of　which　I　am　incapable。　　There　　are　you；　has　the　man　no　gratitude？　。　。　。

〃'Even　the　Shorter　Catechism；　not　the　merriest　epitome　of　religion；　　and　a　work　exactly　as　pious　although　not　quite　so　true　as　the　　multiplication　table　…　even　that　dry…as…dust　epitome　begins　with　a　　heroic　note。　　What　is　man's　chief　end？　　Let　him　study　that；　and　ask　　himself　if　to　refuse　to　enjoy　God's　kindest　gifts　is　in　the　spirit　　indicated。'


〃As　may　be　judged　from　this　half…playful；　half…serious　　remonstrance；　Stevenson's　relation　to　his　parents　was　eminently　　human　and　beautiful。　　The　family　dissensions　above　alluded　to　　belonged　only　to　a　short　but　painful　period；　when　the　father　could　　not　reconcile　himself　to　the　discovery　that　the　son　had　ceased　to　　accept　the　formulas　of　Scottish　Calvinism。　　In　the　eyes　of　the　　older　man　such　heterodoxy　was　for　the　moment　indistinguishable　from　　atheism；　but　he　soon　arrived　at　a　better　understanding　of　his　son's　　position。　　Nothing　appears　more　unmistakably　in　these　letters　than　　the　ingrained　theism　of　Stevenson's　way　of　thought。　　The　poet；　the　　romancer　within　him；　revolted　from　the　conception　of　formless　　force。　　A　personal　deity　was　a　necessary　character　in　the　drama；　as　　he　conceived　it。　　And　his　morality；　though　（or　inasmuch　as）　it　　dwelt　more　on　positive　kindness　than　on　negative　lawlessness；　was；　　as　he　often　insisted；　very　much　akin　to　the　morality　of　the　New　　Testament。〃


Anyway　it　is　clear　that　much　in　the　interminglings　of　blood　we　CAN　　trace；　may　go　to　account　for　not　a　little　in　Stevenson。　　His　　peculiar　interest　in　the　enormities　of　old…time　feuds；　the　　excesses；　the　jealousies；　the　queer　psychological　puzzles；　the　　desire　to　work　on　the　outlying　and　morbid；　and　even　the　unallowed　　and　unhallowed；　for　purposes　of　romance　…　the　delight　in　dealing　　with　revelations　of　primitive　feeling　and　the　out…bursts　of　the　　mere　natural　man　always　strangely　checked　and　diverted　by　the　　uprise　of　other　tendencies　to　the　dreamy；　impalpable；　vague；　weird　　and　horrible。　　There　was　the　undoubted　Celtic　element　in　him　　underlying　what　seemed　foreign　to　it；　the　disregard　of　　conventionality　in　one　phase；　and　the　falling　under　it　in　another　…　　the　reaction　and　the　retreat　from　what　had　attracted　and　interested　　him；　and　then　the　return　upon　it；　as　with　added　zest　because　of　the　　retreat。　　The　confessed　Hedonist；　enjoying　life　and　boasting　of　it　　just　a　little；　and　yet　the　Puritan　in　him；　as　it　were；　all　the　time　　eyeing　himself　as　from　some　loophole　of　retreat；　and　then　　commenting　on　his　own　behaviour　as　a　Hedonist　and　Bohemian。　　This　　clearly　was　not　what　most　struck　Beerbohm　Tree；　during　the　time　he　　was　in　close　contact　with　Stevenson；　while　arranging　the　production　　of　BEAU　AUSTIN　at　the　Haymarket　Theatre；　for　he　sees；　or　confesses　　to　seeing；　only　one　side；　and　that　the　most　assertive；　and　in　a　　sense；　unreal　one：


〃Stevenson；〃　says　Mr　Tree；　〃always　seemed　to　me　an　epicure　in　life。　　　He　was　always　intent　on　extracting　the　last　drop　of　honey　from　　every　flower　that　came　in　his　way。　　He　was　absorbed　in　the　business　　of　the　moment；　however　trivial。　　As　a　companion；　he　was　　delightfully　witty；　as　a　personality；　as　much　a　creature　of　romance　　as　his　own　creations。〃


This　is　simple；　and　it　looks　sincere；　but　it　does　not　touch　'tother　　side；　or　hint　at；　not　to　say；　solve　the　problem　of　Stevenson's　　personality。　　Had　he　been　the　mere　Hedonist　he　could　never　have　　done　the　work　he　did。　　Mr　Beerbohm　Tree　certainly　did　not　there　see　　far　or　all　round。

Miss　Simpson　says：


〃Mr　Henley　recalls　him　to　Edinburgh　folk　as　he　was　and　as　the　true　　Stevenson　would　have　wished　to　be　known　…　a　queer；　inexplicable　　creature；　his　Celtic　blood　showing　like　a　vein　of　unknown　metal　in　　the　stolid；　steady　rock　of　his　sure…founded　Stevensonian　pedigree。　　　His　cousin　and　model；　'Bob'　Stevenson；　the　art　critic；　showed　that　　this　foreign　element　came　from　the　men　who　lit　our　guiding　lights　　for　seamen；　not　from　the　gentle…blooded　Balfours。

〃Mr　Henley　is　right　in　saying　that　the　gifted　boy　had　not　much　　humour。　　When　the　joke　was　against　himself　he　was　very　thin…skinned　　and　had　a　want　of　balance。　　This　made　him　feel　his　honest　father's　　sensible　remarks　like　the　sting　of　a　whip。〃


Miss　Simpson　then　proceeds　to　say：


〃The　R。　L。　Stevenson　of　old　Edinburgh　days　was　a　conceited；　　egotistical　youth；　but　a　true　and　honest　one：　　a　youth　full　of　fire　　and　sentiment；　protesting　he　was　misunderstood；　though　he　was　not。　　　Posing　as　'Velvet　Coat'　among　the　slums；　he　did　no　good　to　himself。　　　He