arite；　most　certainly　a　　vein　of　unblamable　hedonism　pervaded　his　whole　philosophy　of　life。　　　Suffering　constantly；　he　still　was　always　kindly。　　He　encouraged；　　as　Mr　Gosse　has　said；　this　philosophy　by　every　resource　open　to　　him。　　In　practical　life；　all　who　knew　him　declared　that　he　was　　brightness；　naive　fancy；　and　sunshine　personified；　and　yet　he　could　　not　help　always；　somehow；　infusing　into　his　fiction　a　pronounced；　　and　sometimes　almost　fatal；　element　of　gloom。　　Even　in　his　own　case　　they　were　not　pleasure…giving　and　failed　thus　in　essence。　　Some　　wise　critic　has　said　that　no　man　can　ever　write　well　creatively　of　　that　in　which　in　his　early　youth　he　had　no　knowledge。　　Always　　behind　Stevenson's　latest　exercises　lies　the　shadow　of　this　as　an　　unshifting　background；　which　by　art　may　be　relieved；　but　never　　refined　away　wholly。　　He　cannot　escape　from　it　if　he　would。　　Here；　　too；　as　George　MacDonald　has　neatly　and　nicely　said：　　We　are　the　　victims　of　our　own　past；　and　often　a　hand　is　put　forth　upon　us　from　　behind　and　draws　us　into　life　backward。　　Here　was　Stevenson；　with　　his　half…hedonistic　theories　of　life；　the　duty　of　giving　pleasure；　　of　making　eyes　brighter；　and　casting　sunshine　around　one　wherever　　one　went；　yet　the　creator　of　gloom　for　us；　when　all　the　world　was　　before　him　where　to　choose。　　This　fateful　shadow　pursued　him　to　the　　end；　often　giving　us；　as　it　were；　the　very　justificative　ground　for　　his　own　father's　despondency　and　gloom；　which　the　son　rather　too　　decisively　reproved；　while　he　might　have　sympathised　with　it　in　a　　stranger；　and　in　that　most　characteristic　letter　to　his　mother；　　which　we　have　quoted；　said　that　it　made　his　father　often　seem；　to　　him；　to　be　ungrateful　…　〃HAS　THE　MAN　NO　GRATITUDE？〃　　Two　selves　　thus　persistently　and　constantly　struggled　in　Stevenson。　　He　was　　from　this　point　of　view；　indeed；　his　own　Dr　Jekyll　and　Mr　Hyde；　the　　buoyant；　self…enjoying；　because　pleasure…conferring；　man；　and　at　　the　same　time　the　helpless　yet　fascinating　〃dark　interpreter〃　of　　the　gloomy　and　gloom…inspiring　side　of　life；　viewed　from　the　point　　of　view　of　dominating　character　and　inherited　influence。　　When　he　　reached　out　his　hand　with　desire　of　pleasure…conferring；　lo　and　　behold；　as　he　wrote；　a　hand　from　his　forefathers　was　stretched　out；　　and　he　was　pulled　backward；　so　that；　as　he　has　confessed；　his　　endings　were　apt　to　shame；　perhaps　to　degrade；　the　beginnings。　　　Here　is　something　pointing　to　the　hidden　and　secret　springs　that　　feed　the　deeper　will　and　bend　it　to　their　service。　　Individuality　　itself　is　but　a　mirror；　which　by　its　inequalities　transforms　things　　to　odd　shapes。　　Hawthorne　confessed　to　something　of　this　sort。　　He；　　like　Stevenson；　suffered　much　in　youth；　if　not　from　disease　then　　through　accident；　which　kept　him　long　from　youthful　company。　　At　a　　time　when　he　should　have　been　running　free　with　other　boys；　he　had　　to　be　lonely；　reading　what　books　he　could　lay　his　hands　on；　mostly　　mournful　and　puritanic；　by　the　borders　of　lone　Sebago　Lake。　　He　　that　hath　once　in　youth　been　touched　by　this　Marah…rod　of　　bitterness　will　not　easily　escape　from　it；　when　he　essays　in　later　　years　to　paint　life　and　the　world　as　he　sees　them；　nay；　the　hand；　　when　he　deems　himself　freest；　will　be　laid　upon　him　from　behind；　if　　not　to　pull　him；　as　MacDonald　has　said；　into　life　backward；　then　to　　make　him　a　mournful　witness　of　having　once　been　touched　by　the　　Marah…rod；　whose　bitterness　again　declares　itself　and　wells　out　its　　bitterness　when　set　even　in　the　rising　and　the　stirring　of　the　　waters。
  Such　is　our　view　of　the　〃gloom〃　of　Stevenson　…　a　gloom　which　well　　might　have　justified　something　of　his　father's　despondency。　　He　　struggles　in　vain　to　escape　from　it　…　it　narrows；　it　fatefully　　hampers　and　limits　the　free　field　of　his　art；　lays　upon　it　a　　strange　atmosphere；　fascinating；　but　not　favourable　to　true　　dramatic　breadth　and　force；　and　spontaneous　natural　simplicity；　　invariably　lending　a　certain　touch　of　weakness；　inconsistency；　and　　inconclusiveness　to　his　endings；　so　that　he　himself　could　too　often　　speak　of　them　afterwards　as　apt　to　〃shame；　perhaps　to　degrade；　the　　beginnings。〃　　This　is　what　true　dramatic　art　should　never　do。　　In　　the　ending　all　that　may　raise　legitimate　question　in　the　process　…　　all　that　is　confusing；　perplexing　in　the　separate　parts　…　is　met；　　solved；　reconciled；　at　least　in　a　way　satisfactory　to　the　general；　　or　ordinary　mind；　and　thus　such　unity　is　by　it　so　gained　and　　sealed；　that　in　no　case　can　the　true　artist；　whatever　faults　may　　lie　in　portions　of　the　process…work；　say　of　his　endings　that　〃they　　shame；　perhaps　degrade；　the　beginning。〃　　Wherever　this　is　the　case　　there　will　be　〃gloom；〃　and　there　will　also　be　a　sad；　tormenting　　sense　of　something　wanting。　　〃The　evening　brings　a　'hame'；〃　so　　should　it　be　here　…　should　it　especially　be　in　a　dramatic　work。　　If　　not；　〃We　start；　for　soul　is　wanting　there；〃　or；　if　not　soul；　then　　the　last　halo　of　the　soul's　serene　triumph。　　From　this　side；　too；　　there　is　another　cause　for　the　undramatic　character；　in　the　　stricter　sense　of　Stevenson's　work　generally：　　it　is；　after　all；　　distressful；　unsatisfying；　egotistic；　for　fancy　is　led　at　the　beck　　of　some　pre…established　disharmony　which　throws　back　an　abiding　and　　irremovable　gloom　on　all　that　went　before；　and　the　free　spontaneous　　grace　of　natural　creation　which　ensures　natural　simplicity　is；　as　　said　already；　not　quite　attained。
  It　was　well　pointed　out　in　HAMMERTON；　by　an　unanonymous　author　　there　quoted　（pp。　22；　23）；　that　while　in　the　story；　Hyde；　the　worse　　one；　wins；　in　Stevenson　himself　…　in　his　real　life　…　Jekyll　won；　　and　not　Mr　Hyde。　　This　writer；　too；　might　have　added　that　the　　Master　of　Ballantrae　also　wins　as　well　as　Beau　Austin　and　Deacon　　Brodie。　　R。　L。　Stevenson's　dramatic　art　and　a　good　deal　of　his　　fiction；　then；　was　untrue　to　his　life；　and　on　one　side　was　a　lie　…　　it　was　not　in　consonance　with　his　own　practice　or　his　belief　as　　expressed　in　life。
  In　some　other　matters　the　test　laid　down　here　is　not　difficult　of　　application。　　Stevenson；　at　the　time　he　wrote　THE　FOREIGNER　AT　　HOME；　had　seen　a　good　deal；　he　had　been　abroad；　he　had　already　had　　experiences；　he　had　had　differences　with　his　father　about　Calvinism　　and　some　other　things；　and　yet　just　see　how　he　applies　the　standard　　of　his　earlier　knowledge　and　observation　to　England　…　and　by　doing　　so；　cannot　help　exaggerating　the　outstanding　differences；　always　　with　an　almost　provincial　accent　of　unwavering　conviction　due　to　　his　early　associations　and　knowledge。　　He　cannot　help　paying　an　　excessive　tribute　to　the　Calvinism　he　had　formally　rejected；　in　so　　far　as；　according　to　him；　it　goes　to　form　character　…　even　national　　character；　at　all　events；　in　its　production　of　types；　and　he　never　　in　any　really　effective　way　glances　at　what　Mr　Matthew　Arnold　　called　〃Scottish　manners；　Scottish　drink〃　as　elements　in　any　way　　radically　qualifying。　　It　is　not；　of　course；　that　I；　as　a　Scotsman；　　well　acquainted　with　rural　life　in　some　parts　of　England；　as　with　　rural　life　in　many　parts　of　Scotland　in　my　youth；　do　not　heartily　　agree　with　him　…　the　point　is　that；　when　he　comes　to　this　sort　of　　comparison　and　contrast；　he　writes　exactly　as　his　father　would　or　　might　have　done；　with　a　full　consciousness；　after　all；　of　the　　tribute　he　was　paying　to　the　practical　outcome　on　character　of　the　　Calvinism　in　which　he　so　thoroughly　believed。　　It　is；　in　its　way；　a　　very　peculiar　thing　…　and　had　I　space；　and　did　I　believe　it　would　　prove　interesting　to　readers　in　general；　I　might　write　an　essay　on　　it；　with　instances　…　in　which　case　the　Address　to　the　Scottish　　Clergy　would　come　in　for　more　notice；　citation　and　application　than　　it　has　yet　received。　　But　meanwhile　just　take　this　little　snippet　…　　very　characteristic　and　very　suggestive　in　its　own　way　…　and　tell　　me　whether　it　does　not　justify　and　bear　out　fully　what　I　have　now　　said　as　illustrating　a　certain　side　and　a　strange　uncertain　　limitation　in　Stevenson：
  〃But　it　is　not　alone　in　scenery　and　architecture　that　we　count　　England　foreign。　　The　constitution　of　society；　the　very　pillars　of　　the　empire；　surprise　and　even　pain　us。　　The　dull　neglected　peasant；　　sunk　in　matter；　insolent；　gross　and　servile；　makes　a　startling　　contrast　to　our　own　long…legged；　long…headed；　thoughtful；　Bible…　loving　ploughman。　　A　week　or　two　in　such　a　place　as　Suffolk　leaves　　the　Scotsman　gasping。　　It　seems　impossible　that　within　the　　boundaries　of　his　own　island　a　class　should　have　been　thus　　forgotten。　　Even　the　educated　and　intelligent　who　hold　our　own　　opinions　and　speak　in　our　own　words；　yet　seem　to　hold　them　with　a　　difference　or　from　another　reason；　and　to　speak　on　all　things　with　　less　interest　and　conviction。　　The　first　shock　of　English　society　　is　like　a　cold　plunge。〃　（8）
  As　there　was　a　great　deal　of　the　〃John　Bull　element〃　（9）　in　the　　little　dreamer　De　Quincey；　so　there　was　a　great　deal；　after　all；　of　　the　rather　conceited　Calvinistic　Scot　in　R。　L。　Stevenson；　and　it　is　　to　be　traced　as　clearly　in　certain　of　his　fictions　as　anywhere；　　though　he　himself　would　not　perhaps　have　seen　it　and　acknowledged　　it；　as　I　am　here　forced　now　to　see　it；　and　to　acknowledge　it　for　　him。
  CHAPTER　XVII　…　PROOFS　OF　GROWTH
  O