READERS' COLUMN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 253, 5 April 1915, Page 6

READERS' COLUMN.

(By James Wortley.)

SIDELIGHTS ON STEVENSON.

*'-\Vitli Stevcnso,, in IV.moa," by JI J. Moors. London mid Glasgo'v: Collins' Clear Type Press.

So much has boon written and continues to he written about Kteve.i ,->: i that ore does not expect much but what lias be:ii raid before, and said in ao abler manner, from a book priced ninepence. Yet here we have Stevenson from u different angle altogether. Mr Moors was the trader at Apia with whom Stevenson dealt for his sugar and candles, and from whom Stevenson fro-ii time to time secured loans as well as' bought horses. The übiquitous Moo.-s supplied Stevenson with his favorite ''Three, Castles," and bought for him Nassau Island because, "it became evident to me that if Stevenson was to give us of the best that was in him he must get away from the restraints and annoyances that he was subject to" in Vs home life. Moors writes of the introduction Stevenson brought with him to Apia, and of the everyday life of "Tinitala" (the writer of tales) in Samoa up to his death there. We find "The Stevenson whom some writers have told us of—the man of morals, the preacher, the maker of prayers —is not the Stevenson 7 knew. Yet it is true that he moralised in his own peculiar way, and trus that he wrote some exquisite prayer?. The truth is there were two Stevenson ,! And I write of this strange dual personality as I found it, not as reveal :d through the looking glass of the man's books." It would be but natural that to the man on whom, in hia isolation, relied for advice in the mundane things of life. Stevenson should appear totally different from the ma n we find in lii's books. After having read the picture presented by Mr Moors we are inclined to differ from him, and to realise tliF.t the two persons in Stevenson were vnrv intimately bound up. It was only that "Moors did not see the other man. To his banker and intimate neighbor Stcven-,on appeared that very "human" man, frail and illogical, which we all. appear fo ti:ose who know us best. His better life that he lived in communion with himself and his Maker was expressed only in the written pages of his books. 'll is mother." writes Moors, "was indeed a great church-goer, which could not be said of his wife or Mrs Strong." . . .

Stevenson wrote to George Meredith: "We have prayers on Sunday night -T am a perfect pariah in the island not to have them oftener. but the spirit is unwilling and the flesh is proud, and I can't go it more."

THE BUILDING OF VALIMA. Villa Valima, Stevenson's horn-. 1 , which until a few months ago was the official residence of Br SoLf, the German Governor of Samoa, is now in all probability the headquarters of the commander of the New Zealand forces in possession of the colony. The house was not erected without a good deal of worry on the part of Stevenson, Irs family and friends. "Dear, me, the fuss there was in getting that house built." As a preliminary step he employed a local carpenter to plan a house for him, indicating the main essentials. It was unsatisfactory and other carpenters were called in. "I was appealed to. Stevenso n and his wife set to work. Eac.'i submitted and resubmitted designs, and all were alike, full of blemishes. On a visit to Sydney, Stevenson got plans from a n architect there which were on a very lavish scale, and far beyond their means. At last an ungainly though comfortable abode was erected which thoroughly pleased Stevenson, and here he lived and died." Stevenson had nun) missionary friends. Of these the most noteworthy were Dr Chalmers, and the veteran Dr George Brown, who has just been visiting New Zealand. New Zeulandcrs, and Aueklandcrs in particular, will be interested in *Tie following quotation Mr. Moors has made from Valima letters: "I wish you could see our party (Christmas, 1890) at table. H. J. Moors at one end with my wife; I at the other with Airs M.; between us two nathe women, Carruthers the lawyer, Moore' two shop boys, and the guest of Hie evening, Stanley Baker, the man of Tonga, and his son with the' artificial joint to his arm—where the assassins shot him whe n shooting at his father." Mr Moors tells us Stevenson was '''ten hard up, and on one occa?. : -v . -d Uui (Moors) over 12.000 d/ • ,em is a tynical letter: "Please p. five : n gold and thirty dollars i n currency. I am drowned out.—Yours ever, E. 1,. Stevenson." Or a more domestic on< from Mrs Stevenson: Dear Mr Moors,--Please ask your young men to send me back my coffee tin. I retur n the packet of coffee they sent me with the message that they had no Samoan coffee. If you will let me know when you get it. I will not trouble them further, except I must ask them not to keep Mr Hay until finish of their flirtations with the native ladies. He hasn't the time to! spare. He says there is no use him trying to get anything unless you are there which makes it awkward for my food supply. I hope Mr Balm will soon' be up, as the tanks are not set up vet, and the old one is leaking badly.—Believe me yours truly, F. V. DeG. STEVENSON.

For the rest the book contains a rather detailed and necessarily partisan account of the native troubles at ?■>- moa consequent on the unsatisfactory nature of the Triple rule there, ar.'d which ultimately resulted in the.'group being partitioned off between Amtnca and Germany. Much intimate detail is given of some ot Stevenson's transactions with publishers, builders and others in busin-ss matters, and we judge Stevenson was not happy in his bargains. The book is one that must be added by book lovers to their Stevensonin.

NEW NOVELS.

Blue Water," by J. W . Wal!aco (Jfodder and Stoughton) is a capital tale of the cod fisheries of the Newfoundland coast. We judge it has been written by one who knows tho life of the "Bankers from the cradle to the grave. The local color is not fresh painted, but is the very warp and woof of the sorv < °" r , a ," d Eod >" Published by Houghton Miflhn who does not disclose the q /J''' " ft tyP ir »l Western yarn of Southern California. There is a -wl deal of fun play (we expect this with American fiction) and several very &■■«- mafic episodes in unravelling the true story of a ma n and boy wrongly accused of murdering a traveller whom they had attempted to succor in the wilderness