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　or　forget　himself　　what　he　might　achieve。〃　　But　he　doesn't　…　never　does；　and　therefore　　remains　but　a　second…rate　creator　though　more　and　more　the　stylist　　and　the　artist。　　This　is　more　especially　the　case　at　the　very　　points　where　writers　like　Scott　would　have　risen　and　roused　all　the　　readers'　interest。　　When　Stevenson　reaches　such　points；　he　is　　always　as　though　saying　〃See　now　how　cleverly　I'll　clear　that　old　　and　stereotyped　style　of　thing　and　do　something　NEW。〃　　But　there　　are　things　in　life　and　human　nature；　which　though　they　are　old　are　　yet　ever　new；　and　the　true　greatness　of　a　writer　can　never　come　　from　evading　or　looking　askance　at　them　or　trying　to　make　them　out　　something　else　than　what　they　really　are。　　No　artistic　aim　or　　ambition　can　suffice　to　stand　instead　of　them　or　to　refine　them　　away。　　That　way　lies　only　cold　artifice　and　frigid　lacework；　and　　sometimes　Stevenson　did　go　a　little　too　much　on　this　line。



CHAPTER　XXI　…　UNITY　IN　STEVENSON'S　STORIES



THE　unity　in　Stevenson's　stories　is　generally　a　unity　of　subjective　　impression　and　reminiscence　due；　in　the　first　place；　to　his　quick；　　almost　abnormal　boyish　reverence　for　mere　animal　courage；　audacity；　　and　doggedness；　and；　in　the　second　place；　to　his　theory　of　life；　　his　philosophy；　his　moral　view。　　He　produces　an　artificial　　atmosphere。　　Everything　then　has　to　be　worked　up　to　this　…　kept　　really　in　accordance　with　it；　and　he　shows　great　art　in　the　doing　　of　this。　　Hence；　though；　a　quaint　sense　of　sameness；　of　artificial　　atmosphere　…　at　once　really　a　lack　of　spontaneity　and　of　freedom。　　　He　is　freest　when　he　pretends　to　nothing　but　adventure　…　when　he　　aims　professedly　at　nothing　save　to　let　his　characters　develop　　themselves　by　action。　　In　this　respect　the　most　successful　of　his　　stories　is　yet　TREASURE　ISLAND；　and　the　least　successful　perhaps　　CATRIONA；　when　just　as　the　ambitious　aim　compels　him　to　pause　in　　incident；　the　first…person　form　creates　a　cold　stiffness　and　　artificiality　alien　to　the　full　impression　he　would　produce　upon　　the　reader。　　The　two　stories　he　left　unfinished　promised　far　　greater　things　in　this　respect　than　he　ever　accomplished。　　For　it　　is　an　indisputable　fact；　and　indeed　very　remarkable；　that　the　　ordinary　types　of　men　and　women　have　little　or　no　attraction　for　　Stevenson；　nor　their　commonplace　passions　either。　　Yet　precisely　　what　his　art　wanted　was　due　infusion　of　this　very　interest。　　　Nothing　else　will　supply　the　place。　　The　ordinary　passion　of　love　　to　the　end　he　SHIES；　and　must　invent　no　end　of　expedients　to　supply　　the　want。　　The　devotion　of　the　ordinary　type；　as　Thomas　Hardy　has　　over　and　over　exhibited　it；　is　precisely　what　Stevenson　wants；　to　　impart　to　his　novels　the　full　sense　of　reality。　　The　secret　of　　morals；　says　Shelley；　is　a　going　out　of　self。　　Stevenson　was　only　　on　the　way　to　secure　this　grand　and　all…sufficing　motive。　　His　　characters；　in　a　way；　are　all　already　like　himself；　romantic；　but　　the　highest　is　when　the　ordinary　and　commonplace　is　so　apprehended　　that　it　becomes　romantic；　and　may　even；　through　the　artist's　deeper　　perception　and　unconscious　grasp　and　vision；　take　the　hand　of　　tragedy；　and　lose　nothing。　　The　very　atmosphere　Stevenson　so　loved　　to　create　was　in　itself　alien　to　this；　and；　so　far　as　he　went；　his　　most　successful　revelations　were　but　records　of　his　own　　limitations。　　It　is　something　that　he　was　to　the　end　so　much　the　　youth；　with　fine　impulses；　if　sometimes　with　sympathies　　misdirected；　and　that；　too；　in　such　a　way　as　to　render　his　work　　cold　and　artificial；　else　he　might　have　turned　out　more　of　the　　Swift　than　of　the　Sterne　or　Fielding。　　Prince　Otto　and　Seraphina　　are　from　this　cause　mainly　complete　failures；　alike　from　the　point　　of　view　of　nature　and　of　art；　and　the　Countess　von　Rosen　is　not　a　　complete　failure；　and　would　perhaps　have　been　a　bit　of　a　success；　　if　only　she　had　made　Prince　Otto　come　nearer　to　losing　his　virtue。　　　The　most　perfect　in　style；　perhaps；　of　all　Stevenson's　efforts　it　　is　yet　most　out　of　nature　and　truth；　…　a　farce；　felt　to　be　　disguised　only　when　read　in　a　certain　mood；　and　this　all　the　more　　for　its　perfections；　just　as　Stevenson　would　have　said　it　of　a　　human　being　too　icily　perfect　whom　he　had　met。

On　this　subject；　Mr　Baildon　has　some　words　so　decisive；　true；　and　　final；　that　I　cannot　refrain　from　here　quoting　them：


〃From　sheer　incapacity　to　retain　it；　Prince　Otto　loses　the　regard；　　affection；　and　esteem　of　his　wife。　　He　goes　eavesdropping　among　the　　peasantry；　and　has　to　sit　silent　while　his　wife's　honour　is　　coarsely　impugned。　　After　that　I　hold　it　is　impossible　for　　Stevenson　to　rehabilitate　his　hero；　and；　with　all　his　brilliant　　effects；　he　fails。　。　。　。　I　cannot　help　feeling　a　regret　that　such　　fine　work　is　thrown　away　on　what　I　must　honestly　hold　to　be　an　　unworthy　subject。　　The　music　of　the　spheres　is　rather　too　sublime　　an　accompaniment　for　this　genteel　comedy　Princess。　　A　touch　of　　Offenbach　would　seem　more　appropriate。　　Then　even　in　comedy　the　　hero　must　not　be　the　butt。〃　　And　it　must　reluctantly　be　confessed　　that　in　Prince　Otto　you　see　in　excess　that　to　which　there　is　a　　tendency　in　almost　all　the　rest　…　it　is　to　make　up　for　lack　of　hold　　on　human　nature　itself；　by　resources　of　style　and　mere　external　　technical　art。



CHAPTER　XXII　…　PERSONAL　CHEERFULNESS　AND　INVENTED　GLOOM



NOW；　it　is　in　its　own　way　surely　a　very　remarkable　thing　that　　Stevenson；　who；　like　a　youth；　was　all　for　HEITERKEIT；　cheerfulness；　　taking　and　giving　of　pleasure；　for　relief；　change；　variety；　new　　impressions；　new　sensations；　should；　at　the　time　he　did；　have　　conceived　and　written　a　story　like　THE　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE　…　all　　in　a　grave；　grey；　sombre　tone；　not　aiming　even　generally　at　what　at　　least　indirectly　all　art　is　conceived　to　aim　at　…　the　giving　of　　pleasure：　　he　himself　decisively　said　that　it　〃lacked　all　　pleasurableness；　and　hence　was　imperfect　in　essence。〃　　A　very　　strange　utterance　in　face　of　the　oft…repeated　doctrine　of　the　　essays　that　the　one　aim　of　art；　as　of　true　life；　is　to　communicate　　pleasure；　to　cheer　and　to　elevate　and　improve；　and　in　face　of　two　　of　his　doctrines　that　life　itself　is　a　monitor　to　cheerfulness　and　　mirth。　　This　is　true：　　and　it　is　only　explainable　on　the　ground　　that　it　is　youth　alone　which　can　exult　in　its　power　of　accumulating　　shadows　and　dwelling　on　the　dark　side　…　it　is　youth　that　revels　in　　the　possible　as　a　set…off　to　its　brightness　and　irresponsibility：　　　it　is　youth　that　can　delight　in　its　own　excess　of　shade；　and　can　　even　dispense　with　sunshine　…　hugging　to　its　heart　the　memory　of　　its　own　often　self…created　distresses　and　conjuring　up　and；　with　　self…satisfaction；　brooding　over　the　pain　and　imagined　horrors　of　a　　lifetime。　　Maturity　and　age　kindly　bring　their　own　relief　…　　rendering　this　kind　of　ministry　to　itself　no　longer　desirable；　even　　were　it　possible。　　THE　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE　indeed　marks　the　　crisis。　　It　shows；　and　effectively　shows；　the　other　side　of　the　　adventure　passion　…　the　desire　of　escape　from　its　own　sombre　　introspections；　which　yet；　in　all　its　〃go〃　and　glow　and　glitter；　　tells　by　its　very　excess　of　their　tendency　to　pass　into　this　other　　and　apparently　opposite。　　But　here；　too；　there　is　nothing　single　or　　separate。　　The　device　of　piracy；　etc。；　at　close　of　BALLANTRAE；　is　　one　of　the　poorest　expedients　for　relief　in　all　fiction。

Will　in　WILL　O'　THE　MILL　presents　another。　　When　at　the　last　moment　　he　decides　that　it　is　not　worth　while　to　get　married；　the　author's　　then　rather　incontinent　philosophy　…　which；　by…the…bye；　he　did　not　　himself　act　on　…　spoils　his　story　as　it　did　so　much　else。　　Such　an　　ending　to　such　a　romance　is　worse　even　than　any　blundering　such　as　　the　commonplace　inventor　could　be　guilty　of；　for　he　would　be　in　a　　low　sense　natural　if　he　were　but　commonplace。　　We　need　not　　therefore　be　surprised　to　find　Mr　Gwynn　thus　writing：


〃The　love　scenes　in　WEIR　OF　HERMISTON　are　almost　unsurpassable；　but　　the　central　interest　of　the　story　lies　elsewhere　…　in　the　relations　　between　father　and　son。　　Whatever　the　cause；　the　fact　is　clear　that　　in　the　last　years　of　his　life　Stevenson　recognised　in　himself　an　　ability　to　treat　subjects　which　he　had　hitherto　avoided；　and　was　　thus　no　longer　under　the　necessity　of　detaching　fragments　from　　life。　　Before　this；　he　had　largely　confined　himself　to　the　　adventures　of　roving　men　where　women　had　made　no　entrance；　or；　if　　he　treated　of　a　settled　family　group；　the　result　was　what　we　see　in　　THE　MASTER　OF　BALLANTRAE。〃


In　a　word；　between　this　work　and　WEIR　OF　HERMISTON　we　have　the　　passage　from　mere　youth　to　manhood；　with　its　wider；　calmer　views；　　and　its　patience；　inclusiveness；　and　mild；　genial　acceptance　of　　types　that　before　did　not　come；　and　could　not　by　any　effort　of　will　　be　brought；　within　range　or　made　to　adhere　consistently　with　what　　was　already　accepted　and　workable。　　He　was　less　the　egotist　now　and　　more　the　realist。　　He　was　not　so　prone　to　the　high　lights　in　which　　all　seems　overwrought；　exaggerated；　concerned　really　with　effects　　of　a　more　subdued　order；　if　still　the　theme　was　a　wee　out　of　　ordinary　nature。　　Enough　is　left　to　prove　that　Stevenson's　life…　long　devotion　to　his　art　anyway　was　on　the　point　of　being　rewarded　　by　such　a　success　as　he　had　always　dreamt　of：　　that　in　the　man's　　nature　there　was　power　to　conceive　scenes　of　a　tragic　beauty　and　　intensity　unsurpassed　in　our　prose　literature；　and　to　create　　characters　not　unworthy　of　his　greatest　predecessors。　　The　blind　　stroke　of　fate　had　nothing　to　say　to　the　lesson　of　his　life；　and　　though　we　deplore　that　he　never　completed　his　masterpieces；　we　may　　at　least　be　thankful　that　time　enough　was　given　him　to　prove　to　his　　fellow…craftsmen；　that　such　labour　for　the　sake　of　art　is　not　　without　art's　peculiar　reward　…　the　triumph　of　successful　　execution。



CHAPTER　XXIII　…　EDINBURGH　REVIEWERS'　DICTA　INAPPLICABLE　TO　LATER　　WORK



FROM　many　different　points　of　view　discerning　critics　have　　celebrated　the　autobiographic　vein　…　the　self…revealing　turn；　the　　self…portraiture；　the　quaint；　genial；　yet　really　child…like　　egotistic　and　even　dreamy　element　that　lies　like　an　amalgam；　behind　　all　Stevenson's　work。　　Some　have　even　said；　that　because　of　this；　　he　will　finally　live　by　h