Excerpt

Excerpt from The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2, by Robert Louis Stevenson

                           [_Skerryvore_, _Bournemouth_], 1_st_, 1886.

MY DEAR KINNICUM,—I am a very bad dog, but not for the first time. Your
book, which is very interesting, came duly; and I immediately got a very
bad cold indeed, and have been fit for nothing whatever. I am a bit
better now, and aye on the mend; so I write to tell you, I thought of you
on New Year’s Day; though, I own, it would have been more decent if I had
thought in time for you to get my letter then. Well, what can’t be cured
must be endured, Mr. Lawrie; and you must be content with what I give.
If I wrote all the letters I ought to write, and at the proper time, I
should be very good and very happy; but I doubt if I should do anything
else.

I suppose you will be in town for the New Year; and I hope your health is
pretty good. What you want is diet; but it is as much use to tell you
that as it is to tell my father. And I quite admit a diet is a beastly
thing. I doubt, however, if it be as bad as not being allowed to speak,
which I have tried fully, and do not like. When, at the same time, I was
not allowed to read, it passed a joke. But these are troubles of the
past, and on this day, at least, it is proper to suppose they won’t
return. But we are not put here to enjoy ourselves: it was not God’s
purpose; and I am prepared to argue, it is not our sincere wish. As for
our deserts, the less said of them the better, for somebody might hear,
and nobody cares to be laughed at. A good man is a very noble thing to
see, but not to himself; what he seems to God is, fortunately, not our
business; that is the domain of faith; and whether on the first of
January or the thirty-first of December, faith is a good word to end on.

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson — Volume 2

This letter, written by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) on January 1, 1886, from his home Skerryvore in Bournemouth, England, is addressed to a friend named Kinnicum (likely James Walter Ferrier, a lawyer and friend of Stevenson’s, whom he sometimes called by this nickname). The letter is characteristic of Stevenson’s epistolary style—witty, self-deprecating, philosophical, and conversational—while also offering glimpses into his personal struggles, his views on human nature, and his dry humor.

Stevenson was a prolific letter writer, and his correspondence often reveals his battles with ill health (he suffered from tuberculosis), his literary preoccupations, and his moral and existential musings. This particular letter blends apology, humor, resignation, and a touch of melancholic wisdom, making it a rich text for analysis.

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Context & Background

• Stevenson’s Health & Location: By 1886, Stevenson was living in Bournemouth, a coastal town in England, seeking relief for his chronic respiratory illness. His letters from this period often mention his frail health, which influenced his productivity and mood.
• Recipient (Kinnicum): Likely James Ferrier, a close friend and legal advisor. Stevenson’s tone is familiar and teasing, suggesting a long-standing, easy rapport.
• Literary & Personal Context: Stevenson was in the midst of writing Kidnapped (1886) and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), but his letters often reveal his struggles with discipline, guilt over neglected correspondence, and philosophical reflections on suffering and human nature.

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Themes in the Excerpt

1. Guilt & Neglect (The "Bad Dog" Trope)

   • Stevenson opens with a playful self-reproach: "I am a very bad dog, but not for the first time."
     • The "bad dog" metaphor is humorous and self-aware, framing his tardiness in responding as a recurring fault.
     • This sets the tone for the letter—lighthearted but with an undercurrent of genuine remorse.
   • He admits to receiving Kinnicum’s "very interesting" book but being too ill to respond promptly.
     • His cold (likely a symptom of his tuberculosis) is treated with wry resignation: "I have been fit for nothing whatever."
     • The phrase "aye on the mend" (Scots dialect for "always recovering") hints at his chronic illness and the futility of full recovery.

2. Procrastination & the Burden of Obligation

   • "If I wrote all the letters I ought to write, and at the proper time, I should be very good and very happy; but I doubt if I should do anything else."
     • Here, Stevenson mockingly laments the impossibility of being a perfect correspondent.
     • The irony is that he is a prolific letter writer, but his illness and creative demands make timely responses difficult.
     • This reflects a larger tension in his life: the conflict between social duties and artistic work.

3. Health, Discipline, and Human Frailty

   • "What you want is diet; but it is as much use to tell you that as it is to tell my father."
     • Stevenson teases Kinnicum about needing a diet (likely for health reasons), while comparing him to his own father, who was also stubborn about medical advice.
     • The humor masks a serious point: human resistance to discipline, especially when it comes to health.
   • "I quite admit a diet is a beastly thing."
     • The word "beastly" (both "unpleasant" and "inhuman") suggests that self-denial feels unnatural.
   • He then escalates the complaint:
     • "I doubt, however, if it be as bad as not being allowed to speak, which I have tried fully, and do not like."
       • This likely refers to doctor’s orders during his illness (silence to rest his lungs).
     • "When, at the same time, I was not allowed to read, it passed a joke."
       • The deprivation of reading (his lifeline as a writer) was torture—this reveals how intellectual and creative activity were essential to his well-being.

4. Suffering & Existential Resignation

   • "But we are not put here to enjoy ourselves: it was not God’s purpose; and I am prepared to argue, it is not our sincere wish."
     • This is a darkly humorous, almost Calvinist observation.
     • Stevenson rejects the idea of life as purely pleasurable, suggesting that struggle is inherent to human existence.
     • The phrase "it was not God’s purpose" may reflect his Scottish Presbyterian upbringing, though his tone is more skeptical than devout.
   • "As for our deserts, the less said of them the better, for somebody might hear, and nobody cares to be laughed at."
     • "Deserts" (what one deserves) is a moral and theological concept.
     • He avoids self-pity or boasting, suggesting that human merit is either nonexistent or not worth discussing.

5. Faith & the Unknowable

   • "A good man is a very noble thing to see, but not to himself; what he seems to God is, fortunately, not our business; that is the domain of faith."
     • Stevenson contrasts external perception with self-perception:
       • A "good man" may appear noble to others but not to himself (self-doubt or humility).
     • The unknowability of divine judgment is left to "faith", which he presents as a comforting but mysterious force.
   • "whether on the first of January or the thirty-first of December, faith is a good word to end on."
     • The New Year’s Day setting makes this a resolution of sorts—not a vow to improve, but an acceptance of uncertainty.
     • "Faith" here is not necessarily religious but a trust in something beyond human control.

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Literary Devices & Stylistic Features

1. Humor & Irony

   • Stevenson’s self-deprecation ("bad dog," "fit for nothing") is charming and disarming.
   • His understated complaints about diet and silence are funny because they are relatable—who hasn’t resisted doctor’s orders?
   • The dry wit in "what can’t be cured must be endured, Mr. Lawrie" (likely a reference to a mutual acquaintance or a literary in-joke) adds a playful, almost theatrical tone.

2. Conversational Tone & Digressions

   • The letter meanders naturally, as if Stevenson is thinking aloud.
   • He shifts from apology to health advice to existential musings without abrupt transitions, mimicking real speech.

3. Paradox & Contrast

   • "A good man is a very noble thing to see, but not to himself."
     • This juxtaposition of external and internal perception is a classic Stevenson move (seen also in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde).
   • "We are not put here to enjoy ourselves" vs. "faith is a good word to end on."
     • The bleakness of the first statement is softened by the hopeful note on faith.

4. Scots Dialect & Colloquialisms

   • "Aye on the mend" (always recovering) adds a personal, regional touch.
   • "Passed a joke" (went beyond what was tolerable) is an idiomatic phrase that makes the letter feel intimate and unfiltered.

5. Philosophical Undercurrent

   • The letter oscillates between the mundane (colds, diets) and the profound (God’s purpose, faith).
   • Stevenson doesn’t preach but invites the reader into his thoughts, making the philosophy feel organic rather than didactic.

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Significance of the Excerpt

1. Insight into Stevenson’s Personality

   • The letter humanizes Stevenson—he is witty, flawed, and deeply introspective.
   • His struggle with illness is treated with humor and resignation, showing his resilience.
   • His moral and existential musings reveal a mind constantly grappling with big questions, even in casual correspondence.

2. Reflection of Victorian Attitudes

   • The emphasis on duty, suffering, and faith reflects Victorian moral and religious concerns.
   • Yet Stevenson’s skeptical, irreverent tone also challenges conventional piety, aligning with his more progressive, individualistic worldview.

3. Connection to His Literary Works

   • The duality of human nature (seen in "good man" vs. self-perception) foreshadows Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
   • The theme of endurance ("what can’t be cured must be endured") echoes in his adventure novels, where characters face hardship with stoicism.
   • The playful yet melancholic tone is characteristic of his essays (e.g., "Aes Triplex" on the duality of life).

4. Universal Themes

   • Procrastination, guilt, and the struggle for self-improvement are timeless and relatable.
   • The tension between discipline and desire (diet, silence, reading) resonates with modern readers.
   • The acceptance of life’s hardships ("we are not put here to enjoy ourselves") is both bleak and oddly comforting.

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Conclusion: Why This Letter Matters

This excerpt is more than just a casual note—it is a microcosm of Stevenson’s worldview:

• He is funny but not frivolous, self-critical but not self-pitying.
• He acknowledges suffering (his own and others’) without despair.
• He finds meaning not in grand resolutions but in small acts of faith and humor.

The letter’s charm lies in its authenticity—Stevenson doesn’t perform; he simply writes as he thinks, blending wit, wisdom, and weariness in a way that feels deeply human. It’s a snapshot of a brilliant mind grappling with illness, friendship, duty, and the bigger questions of existence—all while maintaining a light, engaging tone.

In many ways, this letter embodies Stevenson’s literary genius: the ability to make profound observations feel like natural conversation.