orced　now　to　see　it；　and　to　acknowledge　it　for　　him。
  CHAPTER　XVII　…　PROOFS　OF　GROWTH
  Once　again　I　quote　Goethe：
  〃Natural　simplicity　and　repose　are　the　acme　of　art；　and　hence　it　　follows　no　youth　can　be　a　master。〃　　It　has　to　be　confessed　that　　seldom；　if　ever；　does　Stevenson　naturally　and　by　sheer　enthusiasm　　for　subject　and　characters　attain　this　natural　simplicity；　if　he　　often　attained　the　counterfeit　presentment　…　artistic　and　graceful　　euphony；　and　new；　subtle；　and　often　unexpected　concatenations　of　　phrase。　　Style　is　much；　but　it　is　not　everything。　　We　often　love　　Scott　the　more　that　he　shows　loosenesses　and　lapses　here；　for；　in　　spite　of　them；　he　gains　natural　simplicity；　while　not　seldom　　Stevenson；　with　all　his　art　and　fine　sense　of　verbal　music；　rather　　misses　it。　　THE　SEDULOUS　APE　sometimes　disenchants　as　well　as　　charms；　for　occasionally　a　word；　a　touch；　a　turn；　sends　us　off　too　　directly　in　search　of　the　model；　and　this　operates　against　the　　interest　as　introducing　a　new　and　alien　series　of　associations；　　where；　for　full　effect；　it　should　not　be　so。　　And　this　distraction　　will　be　the　more　insistent；　the　more　knowledge　the　reader　has　and　　the　more　he　remembers；　and　since　Stevenson's　first　appeal；　both　by　　his　spirit　and　his　methods；　is　to　the　cultured　and　well　read；　　rather　than　to　the　great　mass；　his　〃sedulous　apehood〃　only　the　more　　directly　wars　against　him　as　regards　deep；　continuous；　and　lasting　　impression；　where　he　should　be　most　simple；　natural　and　　spontaneous；　he　also　is　most　artificial　and　involved。　　If　the　　story…writer　is　not　so　much　in　earnest；　not　so　possessed　by　his　　matter　that　this　is　allowed　to　him；　how　is　it　to　be　hoped　that　we　　shall　be　possessed　in　the　reading　of　it？　　More　than　once　in　　CATRIONA　we　must　own　we　had　this　experience；　directly　warring　　against　full　possession　by　the　story；　and　certain　passages　about　　Simon　Lovat　were　especially　marked　by　this；　if　even　the　first　　introduction　to　Catriona　herself　was　not　so。　　As　for　Miss　Barbara　　Grant；　of　whom　so　much　has　been　made　by　many　admirers；　she　is　　decidedly　clever；　indeed　too　clever　by　half；　and　yet　her　doom　is　to　　be　a　mere　DEUS　EX　MACHINA；　and　never　do　more　than　just　pay　a　little　　tribute　to　Stevenson's　own　power　of　PERSIFLAGE；　or；　if　you　like；　to　　pay　a　penalty；　poor　lass；　for　the　too　perfect　doing　of　hat；　and　　really；　really；　I　could　not　help　saying　this　much；　though；　I　do　　believe　that　she　deserved　just　a　wee　bit　better　fate　than　that。
  But　we　have　proofs　of　great　growth；　and　nowhere　are　they　greater　　than　at　the　very　close。　　Stevenson　died　young：　　in　some　phases　he　　was　but　a　youth　to　the　last。　　To　a　true　critic　then；　the　problem　　is；　having　already　attained　so　much　…　a　grand　style；　grasp　of　a　　limited　group　of　characters；　with　fancy；　sincerity；　and　　imagination；　…　what　would　Stevenson　have　attained　in　another　ten　　years　had　such　been　but　allotted　him？　　It　has　over　and　over　again　　been　said　that；　for　long　he　SHIED　presenting　women　altogether。　　　This　is　not　quite　true：　　THRAWN　JANET　was　an　earlier　effort；　and　if　　there　the　problem　is　persistent；　the　woman　is　real。　　Here　also　he　　was　on　the　right　road　…　the　advance　road。　　The　sex…question　was　　coming　forward　as　inevitably　a　part　of　life；　and　could　not　be　left　　out　in　any　broad　and　true　picture。　　This　element　was　effectively　　revived　in　WEIR　OF　HERMISTON；　and　〃Weir〃　has　been　well　said　to　be　　sadder；　if　it　does　not　go　deeper　than　DENIS　DUVAL　or　EDWIN　DROOD。　　　We　know　what　Dickens　and　Thackeray　could　do　there；　we　can　but　guess　　now　what　Stevenson　would　have　done。　　〃Weir〃　is　but　a　fragment；　but；　　to　a　wisely　critical　and　unprejudiced　mind；　it　suffices　to　show　not　　only　what　the　complete　work　would　have　been；　but　what　would　have　　inevitably　followed　it。　　It　shows　the　turning…point；　and　the　way　　that　was　to　be　followed　at　the　cross…roads　…　the　way　into　a　bigger；　　realer；　grander　world；　where　realism；　freed　from　the　dream；　and　　fancy；　and　prejudice　of　youth；　would　glory　in　achieving　the　more　　enduring　romance　of　manhood；　maturity　and　humanity。
  Yes；　there　was　growth　…　undoubted　growth。　　The　questioning　and　　severely　moral　element　mainly　due　to　the　Shorter　Catechism　…　the　　tendency　to　casuistry；　and　to　problems；　and　wistful　introspection　…　　which　had　so　coloured　Stevenson's　art　up　to　the　date　of　THE　MASTER　　OF　BALLANTRAE；　and　made　him　a　great　essayist；　was　passing　in　the　　satisfaction　of　assured　insight　into　life　itself。　　The　art　would　　gradually　have　been　transformed　also。　　The　problem；　pure　and　　simple；　would　have　been　subdued　in　face　of　the　great　facts　of　life；　　if　not　lost；　swallowed　up　in　the　grandeur；　pathos；　and　awe　of　the　　tragedy　clearly　realised　and　presented。
  CHAPTER　XVIII　…　EARLIER　DETERMINATIONS　AND　RESULTS
  STEVENSON'S　earlier　determination　was　so　distinctly　to　the　　symbolic；　the　parabolic；　allegoric；　dreamy　and　mystical　…　to　　treatment　of　the　world　as　an　array　of　weird　or　half…fanciful　　existences；　witnessing　only　to　certain　dim　spiritual　facts　or　　abstract　moralities；　occasionally　inverted　moralities　…　〃tail　　foremost　moralities〃　as　later　he　himself　named　them　…　that　a　strong　　Celtic　strain　in　him　had　been　detected　and　dwelt　on　by　acute　　critics　long　before　any　attention　had　been　given　to　his　genealogy　　on　both　sides　of　the　house。　　The　strong　Celtic　strain　is　now　amply　　attested　by　many　researches。　　Such　phantasies　as　THE　HOUSE　OF　ELD；　　THE　TOUCHSTONE；　THE　POOR　THING；　and　THE　SONG　OF　THE　MORROW；　　published　along　with　some　fables　at　the　end　of　an　edition　of　DR　　JEKYLL　AND　MR　HYDE；　by　Longman's；　I　think；　in　1896；　tell　to　the　　initiated　as　forcibly　as　anything　could　tell　of　the　presence　of　　this　element；　as　though　moonshine；　disguising　and　transfiguring；　　was　laid　over　all　real　things　and　the　secret　of　the　world　and　life　　was　in　its　glamour：　　the　shimmering　and　soft　shading　rendering　all　　outlines　indeterminate；　though　a　great　idea　is　felt　to　be　present　　in　the　mind　of　the　author；　for　which　he　works。　　The　man　who　would　　say　there　is　no　feeling　for　symbol　…　no　phantasy　or　Celtic　glamour　　in　these　weird；　puzzling；　and　yet　on　all　sides　suggestive　tales　　would　thereby　be　declared　inept；　inefficient　…　blind　to　certain　　qualities　that　lie　near　to　grandeur　in　fanciful　literature；　or　the　　literature　of　phantasy；　more　properly。
  This　power　in　weird　and　playful　phantasy　is　accompanied　with　the　　gift　of　impersonating　or　embodying　mere　abstract　qualities　or　　tendencies　in　characters。　　The　little　early　sketch　written　in　June　　1875；　titled　GOOD　CONTENT；　well　illustrates　this：
  〃Pleasure　goes　by　piping：　　Hope　unfurls　his　purple　flag；　and　meek　　Content　follows　them　on　a　snow…white　ass。　　Here；　the　broad　sunlight　　falls　on　open　ways　and　goodly　countries；　here；　stage　by　stage；　　pleasant　old　towns　and　hamlets　border　the　road；　now　with　high　sign…　poles；　now　with　high　minster　spires；　the　lanes　go　burrowing　under　　blossomed　banks；　green　meadows；　and　deep　woods　encompass　them　　about；　from　wood　to　wood　flock　the　glad　birds；　the　vane　turns　in　　the　variable　wind；　and　as　I　journey　with　Hope　and　Pleasure；　and　　quite　a　company　of　jolly　personifications；　who　but　the　lady　I　love　　is　by　my　side；　and　walks　with　her　slim　hand　upon　my　arm？
  〃Suddenly；　at　a　corner；　something　beckons；　a　phantom　finger…post；　a　　will　o'　the　wisp；　a　foolish　challenge　writ　in　big　letters　on　a　　brand。　　And　twisting　his　red　moustaches；　braggadocio　Virtue　takes　　the　perilous　way　where　dim　rain　falls　ever；　and　sad　winds　sigh。　　　And　after　him；　on　his　white　ass；　follows　simpering　Content。
  〃Ever　since　I　walk　behind　these　two　in　the　rain。　　Virtue　is　all　a…　cold；　limp　are　his　curling　feather　and　fierce　moustache。　　Sore　　besmirched；　on　his　jackass；　follows　Content。〃
  The　record；　entitled　SUNDAY　THOUGHTS；　which　is　dated　some　five　days　　earlier　is　naive　and　most　characteristic；　touched　with　the　　phantastic　moralities　and　suggestions　already　indicated　in　every　　sentence；　and　rises　to　the　fine　climax　in　this　respect　at　the　　close。
  〃A　plague　o'　these　Sundays！　　How　the　church　bells　ring　up　the　　sleeping　past！　　I　cannot　go　in　to　sermon：　　memories　ache　too　hard；　　and　so　I　hide　out　under　the　blue　heavens；　beside　the　small　kirk　　whelmed　in　leaves。　　Tittering　country　girls　see　me　as　I　go　past　　from　where　they　sit　in　the　pews；　and　through　the　open　door　comes　　the　loud　psalm　and　the　fervent　solitary　voice　of　the　preacher。　　To　　and　fro　I　wander　among　the　graves；　and　now　look　over　one　side　of　　the　platform　and　see　the　sunlit　meadow　where　the　grown　lambs　go　　bleating　and　the　ewes　lie　in　the　shadow　under　their　heaped　fleeces；　　and　now　over　the　other；　where　the　rhododendrons　flower　fair　among　　the　chestnut　boles；　and　far　overhead　the　chestnut　lifts　its　thick　　leaves　and　spiry　blossom　into　the　dark…blue　air。　　Oh；　the　height　　and　depth　and　thickness　of　the　chestnut　foliage！　　Oh；　to　have　wings　　like　a　dove；　and　dwell　in　the　tree's　green　heart！
  。　。　。　。　。　。　。　。
  〃A　plague　o'　these　Sundays！　　How　the　Church　bells　ring　up　the　　sleeping　past！　　Here　has　a　maddening　memory　broken　into　my　brain。　　　To　the　door；　to　the　door；　with　the　naked　lunatic　thought！　　Once　it　　is　forth　we　may　talk　of　what　we　dare　not　entertain；　once　the　　intriguing　thought　has　been　put　to　the　door　I　can　watch　it　out　of　　the　loophole　where；　with　its　fellows；　it