The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson – Swanston Edition. Volume 24

Let me tell you this: In ’74 or 5 there came to stay with my father and mother a certain Mr. Seed, a prime minister or something of New Zealand. He spotted what my complaint was; told me that I had no business to stay in Europe; that I should find all I cared for, and all that was good for me, in the Navigator Islands; sat up till four in the morning persuading me, demolishing my scruples. And I resisted: I refused to go so far from my father and mother. O, it was virtuous, and O, wasn’t it silly! But my father, who was always my dearest, got to his grave without that pang; and now in 1890, I (or what is left of me) go at last to the Navigator Islands. God go with us! It is but a Pisgah sight when all is said; I go there only to grow old and die; but when you come, you will see it is a fair place for the purpose.

Flaubert38 has not turned up; I hope he will soon; I knew of him only through Maxime Descamps. – With kindest messages to yourself and all of yours, I remain

Robert Louis Stevenson.END OF VOL. XXIV

1

For many years fellow of and historical lecturer at Trinity College, Cambridge.

2

Paillon.

3

The name of the Delectable Land in one of Heine’s Lieder.

4

Silverado Squatters.

5

The allusion is to a specimen I had been used to hear quoted of the Duke of Wellington’s table-talk in his latter years. He had said that musk-rats were sometimes kept alive in bottles in India. Curate, or other meek dependent: “I presume, your Grace, they are small rats and large bottles.” His Grace: “No, large rats, small bottles; large rats, small bottles; large rats, small bottles.”

6

Croûtes: crude studies from nature.

7

Mr. J. Comyns Carr, at this time editing the English Illustrated Magazine.

8

A favourite Skye terrier. Mr. Stevenson was a great lover of dogs.

9

The essay so called, suggested by the death of J. W. Ferrier. See Memories and Portraits.

10

Cough.

11

Loose talk.

12

Mr. Charles Morley, at this time manager or assistant-manager of the Pall Mall Gazette.

13

Princess Casamassima.

14

Lothian vernacular pronunciation of Cunningham.

15

In Underwoods the lines thus bracketed as doubtful stand with the change:

“Life is over; life was gay.”

16

Prince Otto.

17

The name of the hero in Dostoieffsky’s Le Crime et le Châtiment.

18

Suite anglaise.

19

As in fact he had, all except the double l.

20

In Pendennis.

21

For the actual sum, see below, p. 243.

22

Alluding to a kind of lofty, posturing manner of G. M.’s in mind and speech, quite different from any real insincerity.

23

King Kalakaua.

24

This is the Canadian poet Archibald Lampman (d. 1899).

25

Stevenson’s stepdaughter, Mrs. Strong, who was at this time living at Honolulu, and joined his party and family for good after they arrived at Sydney in the following autumn.

26

R. A. M. Stevenson was at this time professor of Fine Art in the University of Liverpool.

27

The Hawaiian name for white men.

28

The writer has omitted something here.

29

Table of chapter headings follows.

30

French bâtons rompus: disconnected thoughts or studies.

31

The Rev. Dr. Hyde, of Honolulu: in reference to Stevenson’s letter on Father Damien.

32

By Émile Zola.

33

Afterwards re-named The Ebb-Tide.

34

His Letters.

35

Originally printed upside-down.

36

Originally printed upside-down.

37

Originally printed sideways.

38

Originally printed sideways.

39

Originally printed sideways.

40

Originally printed sideways.

41

Originally printed sideways.

42

“But she was more than usual calm,She did not give a single dam.”

Marjorie Fleming.

43

“Smith opens out his cauld haranguesOn practice and on morals.”

The Rev. George Smith of Galston, the minister thus referred to by Burns (in the Holy Fair), was a great-grandfather of Stevenson on the mother’s side; and against Stevenson himself, in his didactic moods, the passage was often quoted by his friends when they wished to tease him.

44

Afterwards changed to Alison.