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the music was good； our boys and precentress （'tis always a woman
that leads） did better than I ever heard them； and to my great
pleasure I understood it all except one verse。 This gave me the
more time to try and identify what the parts were doing； and
further convict my dull ear。 Beyond the fact that the soprano rose
to the tonic above； on one occasion I could recognise nothing。
This is sickening； but I mean to teach my ear better before I am
done with it or this vile carcase。
I think it will amuse you （for a last word） to hear that our
precentress … she is the washerwoman … is our shame。 She is a
good； healthy； comely； strapping young wench； full of energy and
seriousness； a splendid workwoman； delighting to train our chorus；
delighting in the poetry of the hymns； which she reads aloud （on
the least provocation） with a great sentiment of rhythm。 Well；
then； what is curious？ Ah； we did not know！ but it was told us in
a whisper from the cook…house … she is not of good family。 Don't
let it get out； please； everybody knows it； of course； here； there
is no reason why Europe and the States should have the advantage of
me also。 And the rest of my housefolk are all chief…people； I
assure you。 And my late overseer （far the best of his race） is a
really serious chief with a good 'name。' Tina is the name； it is
not in the Almanach de Gotha； it must have got dropped at press。
The odd thing is； we rather share the prejudice。 I have almost
always … though not quite always … found the higher the chief the
better the man through all the islands； or； at least； that the best
man came always from a highish rank。 I hope Helen will continue to
prove a bright exception。
With love to Fairchild and the Huge Schoolboy； I am； my dear Mrs。
Fairchild； yours very sincerely；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO E。 L。 BURLINGAME
＇VAILIMA； MARCH 1892。＇
MY DEAR BURLINGAME； … Herewith Chapters IX。 and X。； and I am left
face to face with the horrors and dilemmas of the present regimen：
pray for those that go down to the sea in ships。 I have promised
Henley shall have a chance to publish the hurricane chapter if he
like； so please let the slips be sent QUAM PRIMUM to C。 Baxter；
W。S。； 11 S。 Charlotte Street； Edinburgh。 I got on mighty quick
with that chapter … about five days of the toughest kind of work。
God forbid I should ever have such another pirn to wind！ When I
invent a language； there shall be a direct and an indirect pronoun
differently declined … then writing would be some fun。
DIRECT INDIRECT
He Tu
Him Tum
His Tus
Ex。： HE seized TUM by TUS throat； but TU at the same moment caught
HIM by HIS hair。 A fellow could write hurricanes with an
inflection like that！ Yet there would he difficulties too。
Do what you please about THE BEACH； and I give you CARTE BLANCHE to
write in the matter to Baxter … or telegraph if the time press … to
delay the English contingent。 Herewith the two last slips of THE
WRECKER。 I cannot go beyond。 By the way； pray compliment the
printers on the proofs of the Samoa racket； but hint to them that
it is most unbusiness…like and unscholarly to clip the edges of the
galleys； these proofs should really have been sent me on large
paper； and I and my friends here are all put to a great deal of
trouble and confusion by the mistake。 … For； as you must conceive；
in a matter so contested and complicated； the number of corrections
and the length of explanations is considerable。
Please add to my former orders …
LE CHEVALIER DES TOUCHES ｝ by Barbey d'Aurevilly。
LES DIABOLIQUES 。 。 。 ｝
CORRESPONDANCE DE HENRI BEYLE （Stendahl）。
Yours sincerely；
R。 L。 STEVENSON。
Letter： TO T。 W。 DOVER
VAILIMA PLANTATION； UPOLU； SAMOA； JUNE 20TH； 1892。
SIR； … In reply to your very interesting letter； I cannot fairly
say that I have ever been poor； or known what it was to want a
meal。 I have been reduced； however； to a very small sum of money；
with no apparent prospect of increasing it； and at that time I
reduced myself to practically one meal a day； with the most
disgusting consequences to my health。 At this time I lodged in the
house of a working man； and associated much with others。 At the
same time； from my youth up； I have always been a good deal and
rather intimately thrown among the working…classes； partly as a
civil engineer in out…of…the…way places； partly from a strong and；
I hope； not ill…favoured sentiment of curiosity。 But the place
where； perhaps； I was most struck with the fact upon which you
comment was the house of a friend； who was exceedingly poor； in
fact； I may say destitute； and who lived in the attic of a very
tall house entirely inhabited by persons in varying stages of
poverty。 As he was also in ill…health； I made a habit of passing
my afternoon with him； and when there it was my part to answer the
door。 The steady procession of people begging； and the expectant
and confident manner in which they presented themselves； struck me
more and more daily； and I could not but remember with surprise
that though my father lived but a few streets away in a fine house；
beggars scarce came to the door once a fortnight or a month。 From
that time forward I made it my business to inquire； and in the
stories which I am very fond of hearing from all sorts and
conditions of men； learned that in the time of their distress it
was always from the poor they sought assistance； and almost always
from the poor they got it。
Trusting I have now satisfactorily answered your question； which I
thank you for asking； I remain； with sincere compliments；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO E。 L。 BURLINGAME
VAILIMA； SUMMER 1892。
MY DEAR BURLINGAME； … First of all； YOU HAVE ALL THE CORRECTIONS ON
'THE WRECKER。' I found I had made what I meant and forgotten it；
and was so careless as not to tell you。
Second； of course； and by all means； charge corrections on the
Samoa book to me； but there are not near so many as I feared。 The
Lord hath dealt bountifully with me； and I believe all my advisers
were amazed to see how nearly correct I had got the truck； at least
I was。 With this you will receive the whole revise and a
typewritten copy of the last chapter。 And the thing now is Speed；
to catch a possible revision of the treaty。 I believe Cassells are
to bring it out； but Baxter knows； and the thing has to be crammed
through PRESTISSIMO； A LA CHASSEUR。
You mention the belated Barbeys； what about the equally belated
Pineros？ And I hope you will keep your bookshop alive to supplying
me continuously with the SAGA LIBRARY。 I cannot get enough of
SAGAS； I wish there were nine thousand； talk about realism！
All seems to flourish with you； I also prosper； none the less for
being quit of that abhorred task； Samoa。 I could give a supper
party here were there any one to sup。 Never was such a
disagreeable task； but the thing had to be told。 。 。 。
There； I trust I am done with this cursed chapter of my career； bar
the rotten eggs and broken bottles that may follow； of course。
Pray remember； speed is now all that can be asked； hoped； or
wished。 I give up all hope of proofs； revises； proof of the map；
or sic like； and you on your side will try to get it out as
reasonably seemly as may be。
Whole Samoa book herewith。 Glory be to God。 … Yours very
sincerely；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
Letter： TO CHARLES BAXTER
VAILIMA PLANTATION； UPOLU； SAMOAN ISLANDS； 18TH JULY 1892。
MY DEAR CHARLES；… 。 。 。 I have been now for some time contending
with powers and principalities； and I have never once seen one of
my own letters to the TIMES。 So when you see something