If I had written last night, I should have written a lot. But this morning I am so dreadfully tired and stupid that I can say nothing.
I was down at Leith in the afternoon. G.o.d bless me, what horrid women I saw; I never knew what a plain-looking race it was before.
I was sick at heart with the looks of them. And the children, filthy and ragged! And the smells! And the fat black mud!
My soul was full of disgust ere I got back. And yet the ships were beautiful to see, as they are always; and on the pier there was a clean cold wind that smelt a little of the sea, though it came down the Firth, and the sunset had a certain ECLAT and warmth. Perhaps if I could get more work done, I should be in a better trim to enjoy filthy streets and people and cold grim weather; but I don"t much feel as if it was what I would have chosen. I am tempted every day of my life to go off on another walking tour. I like that better than anything else that I know. - Ever your faithful friend,
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
Letter: TO SIDNEY COLVIN
[EDINBURGH, FEBRUARY 1876.]
MY DEAR COLVIN, - 1ST. I have sent "Fontainebleau" long ago, long ago. And Leslie Stephen is worse than tepid about it - liked "some parts" of it "very well," the son of Belial. Moreover, he proposes to shorten it; and I, who want MONEY, and money soon, and not glory and the ill.u.s.tration of the English language, I feel as if my poverty were going to consent.
2ND. I"m as fit as a fiddle after my walk. I am four inches bigger about the waist than last July! There, that"s your prophecy did that. I am on "Charles of Orleans" now, but I don"t know where to send him. Stephen obviously spews me out of his mouth, and I spew him out of mine, so help me! A man who doesn"t like my "Fontainebleau"! His head must be turned.
3RD. If ever you do come across my "Spring" (I beg your pardon for referring to it again, but I don"t want you to forget) send it off at once.
4TH. I went to Ayr, Maybole, Girvan, Ballantrae, Stranraer, Glenluce, and Wigton. I shall make an article of it some day soon, "A Winter"s Walk in Carrick and Galloway." I had a good time. - Yours,
R. L S.
Letter: TO SIDNEY COLVIN
[SWANSTON COTTAGE, LOTHIANBURN, JULY 1876.]
HERE I am, here, and very well too. I am glad you liked "Walking Tours"; I like it, too; I think it"s prose; and I own with contrition that I have not always written prose. However, I am "endeavouring after new obedience" (Scot. Shorter Catechism). You don"t say aught of "Forest Notes," which is kind. There is one, if you will, that was too sweet to be wholesome.
I am at "Charles d"Orleans." About fifteen CORNHILL pages have already coule"d from under my facile plume - no, I mean eleven, fifteen of MS. - and we are not much more than half-way through, "Charles" and I; but he"s a pleasant companion. My health is very well; I am in a fine exercisy state. Baynes is gone to London; if you see him, inquire about my "Burns." They have sent me 5 pounds, 5s, for it, which has mollified me horrid. 5 pounds, 5s. is a good deal to pay for a read of it in MS.; I can"t complain. - Yours,
R. L. S.
Letter: TO MRS. SITWELL
[SWANSTON COTTAGE, LOTHIANBURN, JULY 1876.]
. . . I HAVE the strangest repugnance for writing; indeed, I have nearly got myself persuaded into the notion that letters don"t arrive, in order to salve my conscience for never sending them off.
I"m reading a great deal of fifteenth century: TRIAL OF JOAN OF ARC, PASTON LETTERS, BASIN, etc., also BOSWELL daily by way of a Bible; I mean to read BOSWELL now until the day I die. And now and again a bit of PILGRIM"S PROGRESS. Is that all? Yes, I think that"s all. I have a thing in proof for the CORNHILL called VIRGINIBUS PUERISQUE. "Charles of Orleans" is again laid aside, but in a good state of furtherance this time. A paper called "A Defence of Idlers" (which is really a defence of R. L. S.) is in a good way. So, you see, I am busy in a tumultuous, knotless sort of fashion; and as I say, I take lots of exercise, and I"m as brown a berry.
This is the first letter I"ve written for - O I don"t know how long.
JULY 30TH. - This is, I suppose, three weeks after I began. Do, please, forgive me.
To the Highlands, first, to the Jenkins", then to Antwerp; thence, by canoe with Simpson, to Paris and Grez (on the Loing, and an old acquaintance of mine on the skirts of Fontainebleau) to complete our cruise next spring (if we"re all alive and jolly) by Loing and Loire, Saone and Rhone to the Mediterranean. It should make a jolly book of gossip, I imagine.
G.o.d bless you.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
P.S. - VIRGINIBUS PUERISQUE is in August CORNHILL. "Charles of Orleans" is finished, and sent to Stephen; "Idlers" ditto, and sent to Grove; but I"ve no word of either. So I"ve not been idle.
R. L. S.
Letter: TO W. E. HENLEY
CHAUNY, AISNE [SEPTEMBER 1876].
MY DEAR HENLEY, - Here I am, you see; and if you will take to a map, you will observe I am already more than two doors from Antwerp, whence I started. I have fought it through under the worst weather I ever saw in France; I have been wet through nearly every day of travel since the second (inclusive); besides this, I have had to fight against pretty mouldy health; so that, on the whole, the essayist and reviewer has shown, I think, some pluck.
Four days ago I was not a hundred miles from being miserably drowned, to the immense regret of a large circle of friends and the permanent impoverishment of British Essayism and Reviewery. My boat culb.u.t.ted me under a fallen tree in a very rapid current; and I was a good while before I got on to the outside of that fallen tree; rather a better while than I cared about. When I got up, I lay some time on my belly, panting, and exuded fluid. All my symptoms JUSQU" ICI are trifling. But I"ve a d.a.m.ned sore throat. - Yours ever,
R. L. S.
Letter: TO MRS. SITWELL
17 HERIOT ROW, EDINBURGH, MAY 1877.
. . . A PERFECT chorus of repudiation is sounding in my ears; and although you say nothing, I know you must be repudiating me, all the same. Write I cannot - there"s no good mincing matters, a letter frightens me worse than the devil; and I am just as unfit for correspondence as if I had never learned the three R."s.
Let me give my news quickly before I relapse into my usual idleness. I have a terror lest I should relapse before I get this finished. Courage, R. L. S.! On Leslie Stephen"s advice, I gave up the idea of a book of essays. He said he didn"t imagine I was rich enough for such an amus.e.m.e.nt; and moreover, whatever was worth publication was worth republication. So the best of those I had ready: "An Apology for Idlers" is in proof for the CORNHILL. I have "Villon" to do for the same magazine, but G.o.d knows when I"ll get it done, for drums, trumpets - I"m engaged upon - trumpets, drums - a novel! "THE HAIR TRUNK; OR, THE IDEAL COMMONWEALTH." It is a most absurd story of a lot of young Cambridge fellows who are going to found a new society, with no ideas on the subject, and nothing but Bohemian tastes in the place of ideas; and who are - well, I can"t explain about the trunk - it would take too long - but the trunk is the fun of it - everybody steals it; burglary, marine fight, life on desert island on west coast of Scotland, sloops, etc. The first scene where they make their grand schemes and get drunk is supposed to be very funny, by Henley. I really saw him laugh over it until he cried.
Please write to me, although I deserve it so little, and show a Christian spirit. - Ever your faithful friend,
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
Letter: TO SIDNEY COLVIN