A. LETTER FROM R. L. STEVENSON.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:]
SIR,—In 1882 or 1883 I stumbled on a magazine article called "A Gossip on Romance," by Robert Louis Stevenson. In it he says, "My elders used to read novels aloud," and he goes on to outline some scenes which had greatly impressed his childish fancy—he was not yet ten—but which be had never been able to trace later ; in the same article is this passage : "The last scene between Lucy and Richard Feveril is pure drama ; more than this it is the strongest scene, since Shakespeare, in the English tongue." I was able to identify one of the scenes he had mentioned, but Lucy and Richard were strangers to me. The Meredith cult had not then started, here at least, so I wrote, with my little piece of information and my query. By what I have always felt was a bit of inspired stupidity, I spelt his name Stephenson, and I received this reply :— F. G. Ireland, Esq. DEAR SIR,
1. You are right about ‘! Two Years Ago."
2. You will find Lucy and Richard in "The Ordeal of Richard Feverell," by George Meredith, which you will instantly order and read; after that you will order and read "The Egoist," by the same ; and then I will leave you to yourself. This recom- mendation, or rather order, is well worth the postage it has cost you. I have read "Richard" thrice ; and "The Egoist" six times, nor am I yet done with them.
3. There are two names, Stephenson and Stevenson. The one is English, the other Scotch. The one may be the name of the devil for what I know : the other is mine. You know, by the Wellers, what immortal hatred may be kindled by a letter. And I own I grind under this which robs me, not only of my ancestors, but of my native country ; and I grind the harder since I see an American publisher actually announcing my own books, and in type, under this travesty.—I am, dear Sir, yours truly,
Hyixes, Var, France.
ROBERT LOUIS 'STEVENSON. '
When the announcement was made that a collection of Stevenson's letters was preparing, I sent a copy of mine to the editor. But it was not printed in the first edition, nor does it appear in the recent one. I am glad, however, to have it in my collection, even though Sir Sidney Colvin did not think fit to include it in his.
Unless I am mistaken, when the paper first appeared in " Longman's," Stevenson said simply Lucy and Richard, with- out adding the surname. In the American "Author's Edition" (Scribner) the name is printed as I have given it above. Stevenson's spelling I have copied, while in my edition—Tauchnitz—of the novel, duly "ordered and read," it appears as Feverel.
Clearly I have sinned in company.—I am, Sir, dre.,
F. G. IRELAND. The Century Association, 7 West Forty-third Street.
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