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thing for a man who writes so many novels as I do； that I should
get so few to read。 And I can read yours； and I love them。
A pity for you that my amanuensis is not on stock to…day； and my
own hand perceptibly worse than usual。 … Yours；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
DECEMBER 5TH； 1892。
P。S。 … They tell me your health is not strong。 Man； come out here
and try the Prophet's chamber。 There's only one bad point to us …
we do rise early。 The Amanuensis states that you are a lover of
silence … and that ours is a noisy house … and she is a chatterbox
… I am not answerable for these statements； though I do think there
is a touch of garrulity about my premises。 We have so little to
talk about； you see。 The house is three miles from town； in the
midst of great silent forests。 There is a burn close by； and when
we are not talking you can hear the burn； and the birds； and the
sea breaking on the coast three miles away and six hundred feet
below us； and about three times a month a bell … I don't know where
the bell is； nor who rings it； it may be the bell in Hans
Andersen's story for all I know。 It is never hot here … 86 in the
shade is about our hottest … and it is never cold except just in
the early mornings。 Take it for all in all； I suppose this island
climate to be by far the healthiest in the world … even the
influenza entirely lost its sting。 Only two patients died； and one
was a man nearly eighty； and the other a child below four months。
I won't tell you if it is beautiful； for I want you to come here
and see for yourself。 Everybody on the premises except my wife has
some Scotch blood in their veins … I beg your pardon … except the
natives … and then my wife is a Dutchwoman … and the natives are
the next thing conceivable to Highlanders before the forty…five。
We would have some grand cracks！
R。 L。 S。
COME； it will broaden your mind； and be the making of me。
CHAPTER XII … LIFE IN SAMOA； CONTINUED； JANUARY 1893…DECEMBER 1894
Letter： TO CHARLES BAXTER
＇APRIL； 1893。＇
。 。 。 About THE JUSTICE…CLERK； I long to go at it； but will first
try to get a short story done。 Since January I have had two severe
illnesses； my boy； and some heart…breaking anxiety over Fanny； and
am only now convalescing。 I came down to dinner last night for the
first time； and that only because the service had broken down； and
to relieve an inexperienced servant。 Nearly four months now I have
rested my brains； and if it be true that rest is good for brains； I
ought to be able to pitch in like a giant refreshed。 Before the
autumn； I hope to send you some JUSTICE…CLERK； or WEIR OF
HERMISTON； as Colvin seems to prefer； I own to indecision。
Received SYNTAX； DANCE OF DEATH； and PITCAIRN； which last I have
read from end to end since its arrival； with vast improvement。
What a pity it stops so soon！ I wonder is there nothing that seems
to prolong the series？ Why doesn't some young man take it up？ How
about my old friend Fountainhall's DECISIONS？ I remember as a boy
that there was some good reading there。 Perhaps you could borrow
me that； and send it on loan； and perhaps Laing's MEMORIALS
therewith； and a work I'm ashamed to say I have never read；
BALFOUR'S LETTERS。 。 。 。 I have come by accident； through a
correspondent； on one very curious and interesting fact … namely；
that Stevenson was one of the names adopted by the MacGregors at
the proscription。 The details supplied by my correspondent are
both convincing and amusing； but it would be highly interesting to
find out more of this。
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO A。 CONAN DOYLE
VAILIMA； APIA； SAMOA； APRIL 5TH； 1893。
DEAR SIR； … You have taken many occasions to make yourself very
agreeable to me； for which I might in decency have thanked you
earlier。 It is now my turn； and I hope you will allow me to offer
you my compliments on your very ingenious and very interesting
adventures of Sherlock Holmes。 That is the class of literature
that I like when I have the toothache。 As a matter of fact； it was
a pleurisy I was enjoying when I took the volume up； and it will
interest you as a medical man to know that the cure was for the
moment effectual。 Only the one thing troubles me： can this be my
old friend Joe Bell？ … I am； yours very truly；
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON。
P。S。 … And lo； here is your address supplied me here in Samoa！ But
do not take mine； O frolic fellow Spookist； from the same source；
mine is wrong。
R。 L。 S。
Letter： TO S。 R。 CROCKETT
VAILIMA； SAMOA； MAY 17TH； 1893。
DEAR MR。 CROCKETT； … I do not owe you two letters； nor yet nearly
one； sir！ The last time I heard of you； you wrote about an
accident； and I sent you a letter to my lawyer； Charles Baxter；
which does not seem to have been presented； as I see nothing of it
in his accounts。 Query； was that lost？ I should not like you to
think I had been so unmannerly and so inhuman。 If you have written
since； your letter also has miscarried； as is much the rule in this
part of the world； unless you register。
Your book is not yet to hand； but will probably follow next month。
I detected you early in the BOOKMAN； which I usually see； and noted
you in particular as displaying a monstrous ingratitude about the
footnote。 Well； mankind is ungrateful； 'Man's ingratitude to man
makes countless thousands mourn；' quo' Rab … or words to that
effect。 By the way； an anecdote of a cautious sailor： 'Bill；
Bill；' says I to him； 'OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT。'
I shall never take that walk by the Fisher's Tryst and Glencorse。
I shall never see Auld Reekie。 I shall never set my foot again
upon the heather。 Here I am until I die； and here will I be
buried。 The word is out and the doom written。 Or； if I do come；
it will be a voyage to a further goal； and in fact a suicide；
which； however； if I could get my family all fixed up in the money
way； I might； perhaps； perform； or attempt。 But there is a plaguey
risk of breaking down by the way； and I believe I shall stay here
until the end comes like a good boy； as I am。 If I did it； I
should put upon my trunks： 'Passenger to … Hades。' How strangely
wrong your information is！ In the first place； I should never
carry a novel to Sydney； I should post it from here。 In the second
place； WEIR OF HERMISTON is as yet scarce begun。 It's going to be
excellent； no doubt； but it consists of about twenty pages。 I have
a tale； a shortish tale in length； but it has proved long to do；
THE EBB TIDE； some part of which goes home this mail。 It is by me
and Mr。 Osbourne； and is really a singular work。 There are only
four characters； and three of them are bandits … well； two of them
are； and the third is their comrade and accomplice。 It sounds
cheering； doesn't it？ Barratry； and drunkenness； and vitriol； and
I cannot tell you all what； are the beams of the roof。 And yet … I
don't know … I sort of think there's something in it。 You'll see
（which is more than I ever can） whether Davis and Attwater come off
or not。
WEIR OF HERMISTON is a much greater undertaking； and the plot is
not good； I fear； but Lord Justice…Clerk Hermiston ought to be a
plum。 Of other schemes； more or less executed； it skills not to
speak。
I am glad to hear so good an account of your activity and
interests； and shall always hear from you with pleasure； though I
am； and must continue； a mere sprite of the inkbottle； unseen in
the flesh。 Please remember me to your wife and to the four…year…
old sweetheart； if she be not too engrossed with higher matters。
Do you know where the road crosses the burn under Glencorse Church？
Go there； and say a prayer for me： MORITURUS SALUTAT。 See that
it's a sunny day； I would like it to be a Sunday； but