statesmen；　with　their　violence　and　their　murders　　and　their　perversions　of　justice；　are　swayed　by　the　same　interests　　and　are　pulling　the　same　strings　and　playing　on　the　same　passions　　which　are　at　work　in　quieter　methods　around　ourselves。　　The　vast　　crimes　and　the　reckless　bloodshed　are　nothing　more　nor　less　than　　stage　effects　used　to　accentuate　for　the　common　eye　what　the　seer　　can　detect　without　them。
  〃And　reading　him　from　this　standpoint；　Stevenson's　'message'　（so　　far　as　it　was　delivered）　appears　to　be　that　of　utter　gloom　…　the　　creed　that　good　is　always　overcome　by　evil。　　We　do　not　mean　in　the　　sense　that　good　always　suffers　through　evil　and　is　frequently　　crucified　by　evil。　　That　is　only　the　sowing　of　the　martyr's　blood；　　which　is；　we　know；　the　seed　of　the　Church。　　We　should　not　have　　marvelled　in　the　least　that　a　genius　like　Stevenson　should　rebel　　against　mere　external　'happy　endings；'　which；　being　in　flat　　contradiction　to　the　ordinary　ways　of　Providence；　are　little　short　　of　thoughtless　blasphemy　against　Providence。　　But　the　terrible　　thing　about　the　Stevenson　philosophy　of　life　is　that　it　seems　to　　make　evil　overcome　good　in　the　sense　of　absorbing　it；　or　perverting　　it；　or　at　best　lowering　it。　　When　good　and　evil　come　in　conflict　in　　one　person；　Dr　Jekyll　vanishes　into　Mr　Hyde。　　The　awful　Master　of　　Ballantrae　drags　down　his　brother；　though　he　seems　to　fight　for　his　　soul　at　every　step。　　The　sequel　to　KIDNAPPED　shows　David　Balfour　　ready　at　last　to　be　hail…fellow…well…met　with　the　supple　　Prestongrange　and　the　other　intriguers；　even　though　they　had　　forcibly　made　him　a　partner　to　their　shedding　of　innocent　blood。
  〃Is　it　possible　that　this　was　what　Stevenson's　experience　of　real　　life　had　brought　him？　　Fortunate　himself　in　so　many　respects；　he　　was　yet　one　of　those　who　turn　aside　from　the　smooth　and　sunny　paths　　of　life；　to　enter　into　brotherly　sympathy　and　fellowship　with　the　　disinherited。　　Is　this；　then；　what　he　found　on　those　darker　levels？　　　Did　he　discover　that　triumphant　hypocrisy　treads　down　souls　as　well　　as　lives？
  〃We　cannot　doubt　that　it　often　does　so；　and　it　is　well　that　we　　should　see　this　sometimes；　to　make　us　strong　to　contend　with　evil　　before　it　works　out　this；　its　worst　mischief；　and　to　rouse　us　from　　the　easy　optimist　laziness　which　sits　idle　while　others　are　being　　wronged；　and　bids　them　believe　'that　all　will　come　right　in　the　　end；'　when　it　is　our　direct　duty　to　do　our　utmost　to　make　it　'come　　right'　to…day。
  〃But　to　show　us　nothing　but　the　gloomy　side；　nothing　but　the　　weakness　of　good；　nothing　but　the　strength　of　evil；　does　not　　inspire　us　to　contend　for　the　right；　does　not　inform　us　of　the　　powers　and　weapons　with　which　we　might　so　contend。　　To　gaze　at　　unqualified　and　inevitable　moral　defeat　will　but　leave　us　to　the　　still　worse　laziness　of　pessimism；　uttering　its　discouraging　and　　blasphemous　cry；　'It　does　not　matter；　nothing　will　ever　come　　right！'
  〃Shakespeare　has　shown　us　…　and　never　so　nobly　as　in　his　last　great　　creation　of　THE　TEMPEST　…　that　a　man　has　one　stronghold　which　none　　but　himself　can　deliver　over　to　the　enemy　…　that　citadel　of　his　own　　conduct　and　character；　from　which　he　can　smile　supreme　upon　the　　foe；　who　may　have　conquered　all　down　the　line；　but　must　finally　　make　pause　there。
  〃We　must　remember　that　THE　TEMPEST　was　Shakespeare's　last　work。　　　The　genuine　consciousness　of　the　possible　triumph　of　the　moral　　nature　against　every　assault　is　probably　reserved　for　the　later　　years　of　life；　when；　somewhat　withdrawn　from　the　passions　of　its　　struggle；　we　become　those　lookers…on　who　see　most　of　the　game。　　　Strange　fate　is　it　that　so　much　of　our　genius　vanishes　into　the　　great　silence　before　those　later　years　are　reached！〃
  Stevenson　was　too　late　in　awakening　fully　to　the　tragic　error　to　　which　short…sighted　youth　is　apt　to　wander　that　〃bad…heartedness　is　　strength。〃　　And　so；　from　this　point　of　view；　to　our　sorrow；　he　too　　much　verified　Goethe's　saw　that　〃simplicity　（not　artifice）　and　　repose　are　the　acme　of　art；　and　therefore　no　youth　can　be　a　　master。〃　　In　fact；　he　might　very　well　from　another　side；　have　taken　　one　of　Goethe's　fine　sayings　as　a　motto　for　himself：
  〃Greatest　saints　were　ever　most　kindly…hearted　to　sinners；　Here　I'm　a　saint　with　the　best；　sinners　I　never　could　hate。〃　（7）
  Stevenson's　own　verdict　on　DEACON　BRODIE　given　to　a　NEW　YORK　HERALD　　reporter　on　the　author's　arrival　in　New　York　in　September　1887；　on　　the　LUDGATE　HILL；　is　thus　very　near　the　precise　truth：　　〃The　piece　　has　been　all　overhauled；　and　though　I　have　no　idea　whether　it　will　　please　an　audience；　I　don't　think　either　Mr　Henley　or　I　are　ashamed　　of　it。　　BUT　WE　WERE　BOTH　YOUNG　MEN　WHEN　WE　DID　THAT；　AND　I　THINK　WE　　HAD　AN　IDEA　THAT　BAD…HEARTEDNESS　WAS　STRENGTH。〃
  If　Mr　Henley　in　any　way　confirmed　R。　L。　Stevenson　in　this　　perversion；　as　I　much　fear　he　did；　no　true　admirer　of　Stevenson　has　　much　to　thank　him　for；　whatever　claims　he　may　have　fancied　he　had　　to　Stevenson's　eternal　gratitude。　　He　did　Stevenson　about　the　very　　worst　turn　he　could　have　done；　and　aided　and　abetted　in　robbing　us　　and　the　world　of　yet　greater　works　than　we　have　had　from　his　hands。　　　He　was　but　condemning　himself　when　he　wrote　some　of　the　detractory　　things　he　did　in　the　PALL　MALL　MAGAZINE　about　the　EDINBURGH　　EDITION；　etc。　　Men　are　mirrors　in　which　they　see　each　other：　　　Henley；　after　all；　painted　himself　much　more　effectively　in　that　　now　notorious　PALL　MALL　MAGAZINE　article　than　he　did　R。　L。　　Stevenson。　　Such　is　the　penalty　men　too　often　pay　for　wreaking　　paltry　revenges　…　writing　under　morbid　memories　and　narrow　and　　petty　grievances　…　they　not　only　fail　in　truth　and　impartiality；　　but　inscribe　a　kind　of　grotesque　parody　of　themselves　in　their　　effort　to　make　their　subject　ridiculous；　as　he　did；　for　example；　　about　the　name　Lewis=Louis；　and　various　other　things。
  R。　L。　Stevenson's　fate　was　to　be　a　casuistic　and　mystic　moralist　at　　bottom；　and　could　not　help　it；　while；　owing　to　some　kink　or　twist；　　due；　perhaps；　mainly　to　his　earlier　sufferings；　and　the　teachings　　he　then　received；　he　could　not　help　giving　it　always　a　turn　to　what　　he　himself　called　〃tail…foremost〃　or　inverted　morality；　and　it　was　　not　till　near　the　close　that　he　fully　awakened　to　the　fact　that　　here　he　was　false　to　the　truest　canons　at　once　of　morality　and　life　　and　art；　and　that　if　he　pursued　this　course　his　doom　was；　and　would　　be；　to　make　his　endings　〃disgrace；　or　perhaps；　degrade　his　　beginnings；〃　and　that　no　true　and　effective　dramatic　unity　and　　effect　and　climax　was　to　be　gained。　　Pity　that　he　did　so　much　on　　this　perverted　view　of　life　and　world　and　art：　　and　well　it　is　that　　he　came　to　perceive　it；　even　though　almost　too　late：…　certainly　too　　late　for　that　full　presentment　of　that　awful　yet　gladdening　　presence　of　a　God's　power　and　equity　in　this　seeming　tangled　web　of　　a　world；　the　idea　which　inspired　Robert　Browning　as　well　as　　Wordsworth；　when　he　wrote；　and　gathered　it　up　into　a　few　lines　in　　PIPPA　PASSES：
  〃The　year's　at　the　spring；　And　day's　at　the　morn；　Morning's　at　seven；　The　hillsides　dew…pearled；
  The　lark's　on　the　wing；　The　snail's　on　the　thorn：　God's　in　His　heaven；　All's　right　with　the　world。
  。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。
  〃All　service　ranks　the　same　with　God；　If　now；　as　formerly　he　trod　Paradise；　His　presence　fills　Our　earth；　each　only　as　God　wills　Can　work　…　God's　puppets　best　and　worst；　Are　we；　there　is　no　last　or　first。〃
  It　shows　what　he　might　have　accomplished；　had　longer　life　been　but　　allowed　him。
  CHAPTER　XVI　…　STEVENSON'S　GLOOM
  THE　problem　of　Stevenson's　gloom　cannot　be　solved　by　any　　commonplace　cut…and…dried　process。　　It　will　remain　a　problem　only　　unless　（1）　his　original　dreamy　tendency　crossed；　if　not　warped；　by　　the　fatalistic　Calvinism　which　was　drummed　into　him　by　father；　　mother；　and　nurse　in　his　tender　years；　is　taken　fully　into　account；　　then　（2）　the　peculiar　action　on　such　a　nature　of　the　unsatisfying　　and；　on　the　whole；　distracting　effect　of　the　bohemian　and　hail…　fellow…well…met　sort　of　ideal　to　which　he　yielded；　and　which　has　to　　be　charged　with　much；　and　（3）　the　conflict　in　him　of　a　keenly　　social　animus　with　a　very　strong　egotistical　effusiveness；　fed　by　　fancy；　and　nourished　by　the　enforced　solitariness　inevitable　in　the　　case　of　one　who；　from　early　years　up；　suffered　from　painful；　and　　even　crushing；　disease。
  His　text　and　his　sermon　…　which　may　be　shortly　summed　in　the　　following　sentence　…　be　kind；　for　in　kindness　to　others　lies　the　　only　true　pleasure　to　be　gained　in　life；　be　cheerful；　even　to　the　　point　of　egotistic　self…satisfaction；　for　through　cheerfulness　only　　is　the　flow　of　this　incessant　kindliness　of　thought　and　service　　possible。　　He　was　not　in　harmony　with　the　actual　effect　of　much　of　　his　creative　work；　though　he　illustrated　this　in　his　life；　as　few　　men　have　done。　　He　regarded　it　as　the　highest　duty　of　life　to　give　　pleasure　to　others；　his　art　in　his　own　idea　thus　became　in　an　　unostentatious　way　consecrated；　and　while　he　would　not　have　claimed　　to　be　a　seer；　any　more　than　he　would　have　claimed　to　be　a　saint；　as　　he　would　have　held　in　contempt　a　mere　sybarite；　most　certainly　a　　vein　of　unblamable　hedonism　pervaded　his　whole　philosophy　of　life。　　　Suffer