R　OF　SOME　REPUTE；　who　was　to　die　in　1878。〃
  Mr　Sam　Bough　WAS　〃a　water…colour　painter　of　some　repute；〃　but　a　　painter　in　oils　of　yet　greater　repute　…　a　man　of　rare　strength；　　resource；　and　facility　…　never；　perhaps；　wholly　escaping　from　some　　traces　of　his　early　experiences　in　scene…painting；　but　a　true　　genius　in　his　art。　　Ah；　well　I　remember　him；　though　an　older　man；　　yet　youthful　in　the　band　of　young　Scotch　artists　among　whom　as　a　　youngster　I　was　privileged　to　move　in　Edinburgh　…　Pettie；　Chalmers；　　M'Whirter；　Peter　Graham；　MacTaggart；　MacDonald；　John　Burr；　and　　Bough。　　Bough　could　be　voluble　on　art；　and　many　a　talk　I　had　with　　him　as　with　the　others　named；　especially　with　John　Burr。　　Bough　and　　he　both　could　talk　as　well　as　paint；　and　talk　right　well。　　Bough　　had　a　slight　cast　in　the　eye；　when　he　got　a　WEE　excited　on　his　　subject　he　would　come　close　to　you　with　head　shaking；　and　　spectacles　displaced；　and　forelock　wagging；　and　the　cast　would　seem　　to　die　away。　　Was　this　a　fact；　or　was　it　an　illusion　on　my　part？　　I　　have　often　asked　myself　that　question；　and　now　I　ask　it　of　others。　　　Can　any　of　my　good　friends　in　Edinburgh　say；　can　Mr　Caw　help　me　　here；　either　to　confirm　or　to　correct　me？　　I　venture　to　insert　here　　an　anecdote；　with　which　my　friend　of　old　days；　Mr　Wm。　MacTaggart；　　R。S。A。；　in　a　letter　kindly　favours　me：
  〃Sam　Bough　was　a　very　sociable　man；　and；　when　on　a　sketching　tour；　　liked　to　have　a　young　artist　or　two　with　him。　　Jack　Nisbett　played　　the　violin；　and　Sam　the　'cello；　etc。　　Jack　was　fond　of　telling　that　　Sam　used　to　let　them　all　choose　the　best　views；　and　then　he　would　　take　what　was　left；　and　Jack；　with　mild　astonishment；　would　say；　　that　'it　generally　turned　out　to　be　the　best　…　on　the　canvas！'〃
  In　Mr　Hammerton's　copy　of　the　verses　in　reply　to　Mr　Crockett's　　dedication　of　THE　STICKIT　MINISTER　to　Stevenson；　in　which　occurred　　the　fine　phrase　〃The　grey　Galloway　lands；　where　about　the　graves　of　　the　martyrs　the　whaups　are　crying；　his　heart　remembers　how〃：
  〃Blows　the　wind　to…day　and　the　sun　and　the　rain　are　flying：　Blows　the　wind　on　the　moors　to…day　and　now；　Where　about　the　graves　of　the　martyrs　the　whaups　are　crying；　My　heart　remembers　how。
  〃Grey　recumbent　tombs　of　the　dead　in　desert　places；　Standing　stones　on　the　vacant　wine…red　moor；　Hills　of　sheep；　and　the　HOMES　of　the　silent　vanished　races；　And　winds　austere　and　pure。
  〃Be　it　granted　me　to　behold　you　again　in　dying；　Hills　of　home！　and　to　hear　again　the　call　…　Hear　about　the　graves　of　the　martyrs　the　pee…weet　crying；　And　hear　no　more　at　all。〃
  Mr　Hammerton　prints　HOWES　instead　of　HOMES；　which　I　have　italicised　　above。　　And　I　may　note；　though　it　does　not　affect　the　poetry；　if　it　　does　a　little　affect　the　natural　history；　that　the　PEE…WEETS　and　　the　whaups　are　not　the　same　…　the　one　is　the　curlew；　and　the　other　　is　the　lapwing　…　the　one　most　frequenting　wild；　heathery　or　peaty　　moorland；　and　the　other　pasture　or　even　ploughed　land　…　so　that　it　　is　a　great　pity　for　unity　and　simplicity　alike　that　Stevenson　did　　not　repeat　the　〃whaup；〃　but　wrote　rather　as　though　pee…weet　or　pee…　weets　were　the　same　as　whaups　…　the　common　call　of　the　one　is　KER…　LEE；　KER…LEE；　and　of　the　other　PEE…WEET；　PEE…WEET；　hence　its　common　　name。
  It　is　a　pity；　too；　that　Mr　Hammerton　has　no　records　of　some　　portions　of　the　life　at　Davos　Platz。　　Not　only　was　Stevenson　ill　　there　in　April　1892；　but　his　wife　collapsed；　and　the　tender　concern　　for　her　made　havoc　with　some　details　of　his　literary　work。　　It　is　　good　to　know　this。　　Such　errata　or　omissions　throw　a　finer　light　on　　his　character　than　controlling　perfection　would　do。　　Ah；　I　remember　　how　my　old　friend　W。　B。　Rands　（〃Matthew　Browne〃　and　〃Henry　　Holbeach〃）　was　wont　to　declare　that　were　men　perfect　they　would　be　　isolated；　if　not　idiotic；　that　we　are　united　to　each　other　by　our　　defects　…　that　even　physical　beauty　would　be　dead　like　later　Greek　　statues；　were　these　not　departures　from　the　perfect　lines。　　The　　letter　given　by　me　at　p。　28　transfigures　in　its　light；　some　of　his　　work　at　that　time。
  And　then　what　an　opportunity；　we　deeply　regret　to　say；　Mr　Hammerton　　wholly　missed；　when　he　passed　over　without　due　explanation　or　　commentary　that　most　significant　pamphlet　…　the　ADDRESS　TO　THE　　SCOTTISH　CLERGY。　　If　Mr　Hammerton　had　but　duly　and　closely　studied　　that　and　its　bearings　and　suggestions　in　many　directions；　then　he　　would　have　written　such　a　chapter　for　true　enlightenment　and　for　　interest　as　exactly　his　book　…　attractive　though　it　is　in　much　…　　yet　specially　lacks。　　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　Mr　Sidney　Colvin　will　　not　once　more　miss　the　chance　which　is　thus　still　left　open　to　him　　to　perfect　his　LIFE　OF　STEVENSON；　and　make　it　more　interpretive　　than　anything　yet　published。　　If　he　does　this；　then；　a　dreadful　　LACUNA　in　the　EDINBURGH　EDITION　will　also　be　supplied。
  Carefully　reading　over　again　Mr　Arthur　Symons'　STUDIES　IN　TWO　　LITERATURES　…　published　some　years　ago　…　I　have　come　across　　instances　of　apparent　contradiction　which；　so　far　as　I　can　see；　he　　does　not　critically　altogether　reconcile；　despite　his　ingenuity　and　　great　charm　of　style。　　One　relates　to　Thoreau；　who；　while　still　　〃sturdy〃　as　Emerson　says；　〃and　like　an　elm　tree；〃　as　his　sister　　Sophia　says；　showed　exactly　the　same　love　of　nature　and　power　of　　interpreting　her　as　he　did　after　in　his　later　comparatively　short　　period　of　〃invalidity；〃　while　Mr　Symons　says　his　view　of　Nature　　absolutely　was　that　of　the　invalid；　classing　him　unqualifiedly　with　　Jefferies　and　Stevenson；　as　invalid。　　Thoreau's　mark　even　in　the　　short　later　period　of　〃invalidity〃　was　complete　and　robust　　independence　and　triumph　over　it　…　a　thing　which　I　have　no　doubt　　wholly　captivated　Stevenson；　as　scarce　anything　else　would　have　　done；　as　a　victory　in　the　exact　ROLE　he　himself　was　most　ambitious　　to　fill。　　For　did　not　he　too　wrestle　well　with　the　〃wolverine〃　he　　carried　on　his　back　…　in　this　like　Addington　Symonds　and　Alexander　　Pope？　　Surely　I　cannot　be　wrong　here　to　reinforce　my　statement　by　a　　passage　from　a　letter　written　by　Sophia　Thoreau　to　her　good　friend　　Daniel　Ricketson；　after　her　brother's　death；　the　more　that　R。　L。　　Stevenson　would　have　greatly　exulted　too　in　its　cheery　and　　invincible　stoicism：
  〃Profound　joy　mingles　with　my　grief。　　I　feel　as　if　something　very　　beautiful　had　happened　…　not　death；　although　Henry　is　with　us　no　　longer；　yet　the　memory　of　his　sweet　and　virtuous　soul　must　ever　　cheer　and　comfort　me。　　My　heart　is　filled　with　praise　to　God　for　　the　gift　of　such　a　brother；　and　may　I　never　distrust　the　love　and　　wisdom　of　Him　who　made　him　and　who　has　now　called　him　to　labour　in　　more　glorious　fields　than　earth　affords。　　You　ask　for　some　　particulars　relating　to　Henry's　illness。　　I　feel　like　saying　that　　Henry　was　never　affected；　never　reached　by　it。　　I　never　before　saw　　such　a　manifestation　of　the　power　of　spirit　over　matter。　　Very　　often　I　heard　him　tell　his　visitors　that　he　enjoyed　existence　as　　well　as　ever。　　The　thought　of　death；　he　said；　did　not　trouble　him。　　　His　thoughts　had　entertained　him　all　his　life　and　did　still。。。。　He　　considered　occupation　as　necessary　for　the　sick　as　for　those　in　　health；　and　accomplished　a　vast　amount　of　labour　in　those　last　few　　months。〃
  A　rare　〃invalidity〃　this　…　a　little　confusing　easy　classifications。　　　I　think　Stevenson　would　have　felt　and　said　that　brother　and　sister　　were　well　worthy　of　each　other；　and　that　the　sister　was　almost　as　　grand　and　cheery　a　stoic；　with　no　literary　profession　of　it；　as　was　　the　brother。
  The　other　thing　relates　to　Stevenson's　HUMAN　SOUL。　　I　find　Mr　　Symons　says；　at　p。　243；　that　Stevenson　〃had　something　a　trifle　　elfish　and　uncanny　about　him；　as　of　a　bewitched　being　who　was　not　　actually　human　…　had　not　actually　a　human　soul〃　…　in　which　there　　may　be　a　glimmer　of　truth　viewed　from　his　revelation　of　artistic　　curiosities　in　some　aspects；　but　is　hardly　true　of　him　otherwise；　　and　this　Mr　Symons　himself　seems　to　have　felt；　when；　at　p。　246；　he　　writes：　　〃He　is　one　of　those　writers　who　speak　TO　US　ON　EASY　TERMS；　　with　whom　we　MAY　EXCHANGE　AFFECTIONS。〃　　How　〃affections〃　could　be　　exchanged　on　easy　terms　between　the　normal　human　being　and　an　　elfish　creature　actually　WITHOUT　A　HUMAN　SOUL　（seeing　that　　affections　are；　as　Mr　Matthew　Arnold　might　have　said；　at　least；　　three…fourths　of　soul）　is　more；　I　confess；　than　I　can　quite　see　at　　present；　but　in　this　rather　MALADROIT　contradiction　Mr　Symons　does　　point　at　one　phase　of　the　problem　of　Stevenson　…　this；　namely　that　　to　all　the　ordinary　happy　or　pleasure…endings　he　opposes；　as　it　　were　of　set　purpose；　gloom；　as　though　to　certain　things　he　was　　quite　indifferent；　and　though；　as　we　have　seen；　his　actual　life　and　　practice　were　quite　opposed　to　this。
  I　am　sorry　I　CANNOT　find　the　link　in　Mr　Symons'　essay；　which　would　　quite　make　these　two　statements　consistently　coincide　critically。　　　As　an　enthusiastic；　though　I　hope　still　a　discriminating；　　Stevensonian；　I　do　wish　Mr　Symons　would　help　us　to　it　somehow　　hereafter。　　It　would　be　well　worth　his　doing；　in　my　opinion。
  CHAPTER　XXXIV　…　LETTERS　AND　POEMS　IN　TESTIMONY
  AMONG　many　letters　received　by　me　in　acknowledgment　of；　or　in　　commentary　on；　my　little　tributes　to　R。　L。　Stevenson；　in　vari