The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1Stevenson, Robert Louis
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The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 1
Stevenson, Robert Louis
Authors, Scottish -- 19th century -- Correspondence; Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894 -- Correspondence
My dear mother, how can I keep up with your breathless changes?
Innerleithen, Cramond, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Selkirk. I lean to
Cramond, but I shall be pleased anywhere, any respite from Davos; never
mind, it has been a good, though a dear lesson. Now, with my improved
health, if I can pass the summer, I believe I shall be able no more to
exceed, no more to draw on you. It is time I sufficed for myself indeed.
And I believe I can.
I am still far from satisfied about Fanny; she is certainly better, but
it is by fits a good deal, and the symptoms continue, which should not
be. I had her persuaded to leave without me this very day (Saturday
8th), but the disclosure of my mismanagement broke up that plan; she
would not leave me lest I should mismanage more. I think this an unfair
revenge; but I have been so bothered that I cannot struggle. All Davos
has been drinking our wine. During the month of March, three litres a
day were drunk—O it is too sickening—and that is only a specimen. It is
enough to make any one a misanthrope, but the right thing is to hate the
donkey that was duped—which I devoutly do.
I have this winter finished _Treasure Island_, written the preface to the
_Studies_, a small book about the _Inland __Voyage_ size, _The Silverado
Squatters_, and over and above that upwards of ninety (90) _Cornhill_
pages of magazine work. No man can say I have been idle.—Your
affectionate son,
R. L. STEVENSON.
TO EDMUND GOSSE
[_Edinburgh_] _Sunday_ [_June_ 1882].
. . . NOTE turned up, but no gray opuscule, which, however, will probably
turn up to-morrow in time to go out with me to Stobo Manse, Peeblesshire,
where, if you can make it out, you will be a good soul to pay a visit. I
shall write again about the opuscule; and about Stobo, which I have not
seen since I was thirteen, though my memory speaks delightfully of it.
I have been very tired and seedy, or I should have written before, _inter
alia_, to tell you that I had visited my murder place and found _living
traditions_ not yet in any printed book; most startling. I also got
photographs taken, but the negatives have not yet turned up. I lie on
the sofa to write this, whence the pencil; having slept yesterdays—1 + 4
+ 7½ = 12½ hours and being (9 A.M.) very anxious to sleep again. The
arms of Porpus, quoi! A poppy gules, etc.
From Stobo you can conquer Peebles and Selkirk, or to give them their old
decent names, Tweeddale and Ettrick. Think of having been called
Tweeddale, and being called PEEBLES! Did I ever tell you my skit on my
own travel books? We understand that Mr. Stevenson has in the press
another volume of unconventional travels: _Personal Adventures in
Peeblesshire_. _Je la trouve méchante_.—Yours affectionately,
R. L. S.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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