SHARP & STEVENSON.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1593, 9 November 1912, Page 9

SHARP & STEVENSON.

I .';■-.-' :'•;.:,.-'■,;'■:'■ •'"'.: 'L— 'VjJA. }.f, ■ ■!..'" of,a';neff,edition'bf Mr. . William'' "Literary., I .Geography. i aiid"TraveT Sketches'-'recalls the' riot'wry flattering., -portrait':".' of; ,R.. .li.'..;.Stevens6h. ■which one of the chapters contains!..' -.Miv " ': Sharp'first saw the author.'of;.''Catrioha" at. WatcrloojStation.' '"He'',did..hqt at that ;■ .' time'know him even by sight, ;biit he.was >■. ■ 6te'ueTc'by.a'toaveller:)vhyhtt4.jiistemerg-; :'.' ed from a Bournemouth'train: .: ' : \ .'■■''; '.'•.■' .'"He'was. tall, '.thini:spare-rindeed,..he 6truck' me as almost, fantastically spare. 'i I -'remember., thinking ..that ■: the -'station draught : caught him like a.torn-leaf flowingat ..the end of a.branch. ■: His 'clothes 1 .hung'about him as the clothes 'ol'a.' cdh-'valescent-who,has-lost. bulk-and,weight after ; .long'feyer.. .He had.on a'jacket of . Jfoo'se necktie; negligeritly,,bundled into;'a . colour '''. : ..r. .:'a .flannel 1 , shirt .with a loose necklie negligently bundled', into' a '.' sailor's knot; wmewhat fantasticalttrous T ■ : efs, though ,no 4pub.t ; i.this;..cffect;,was/due in.':part .toi-.their-linlp' amplituaeJ,;about ■ seemed .the. thin/green, poles : familiar;in:{dohlia-ppts: than the-legs of ■ a human creature." .' : '..■:,,.■•, .;He'wore : ;a straw hat that "in'.its rear - ifim'.suggested forgetfulness.on ; the.part 'of:' its. wearer,.who. had apparently, in ' i ; Bleep or treated it os"a. cloth > ' cap/' .. : ",' ''''• •■ "'•, :''• '.- ■■'■"': These,, however,'Mr.;Sharp: 6ays, were ' details in theriiselyes'trivial, and were not. 'consciously: noted' till/Idter.. What, im- ' mediately \'-'. attracted .-attention .: was ,-' "the"!-::• long; '."narrow''v 'face,- -. 'then . . almost;.-. sallow,' : '. ; with '.somewhat: •'.'. . long loose: dark'hair'that-draggled from beneath the. yellow.,straw hat '.well .over the'ears, along the dusky hollows of temple, and cheeks": "But, the extraordmafiness of the impression was of a .man who had just'been rescued from 'the, sea, or a river..'Except for the fact fhat his' clothes:did not, drip, that'the long black ' locks'hung 1 limpvbut. not moist, and that ■ ... the.short velveteen jacket.was disrepute ', able but hot damp, of a man just come or takenirom the water was': overwhelming."; A. cabman standing -.- near was of-:the same opinion.-: .■;',- Suddenly, .Stevenson,drbpped.,a;.bopk.he . * was carrying, "and . with long, white, nervous' fingers'.was:.with one hand-crump-ling and twisting'the,loose ends of his 'plaid or rug.".-..Suddenly the friend whom ,/ ,• ihe'.was expectihg.:.came forward:' : V . : ;' ~.' . ..i,':/'The,.wnol«':mantsefim.ed..to.change.,Tho . impression" of emaciation.y;faded;.;,the ,' 'drowried' look passed'; even tho damaged straw hat .and the^ehprt' velveteen jacket ; ' and .the shank-inhabiied. wilderness of ■. trouser shared in''this unique 'literary ~ renasence.' But the supreme change was .in -the face. "'-• The dark, locks apparently '. receded/like weedy tangle : in the.ebb; ■ the long sallow oval grew rounder and i . 'less wan; ; the sombre melancholy vanish- '.■" ' ed like a day of wind and sun, ! and the dark eyes lighted to a violet .'blue'.a'nd were filled" with-sunshine and laughter.". ':■■,;''?.■. ';■■. . "An extraordinarily' winsome smile," edds Mr. Sharp, "invaded the face ." . . pervaded the whole man,'l was about to 6ay." . ■ ..'...':■ .. '