poor, in fact, I may say destitute, and who lived in the attic of a very
tall house entirely inhabited by persons in varying stages of poverty.
As he was also in ill-health, I made a habit of passing my afternoon
with him, and when there it was my part to answer the door. The steady
procession of people begging, and the expectant and confident manner in
which they presented themselves, struck me more and more daily; and I
could not but remember with surprise that though my father lived but a
few streets away in a fine house, beggars scarce came to the door once a
fortnight or a month. From that time forward I made it my business to
inquire, and in the stories which I am very fond of hearing from all
sorts and conditions of men, learned that in the time of their distress
it was always from the poor they sought assistance, and almost always
from the poor they got it.

Trusting I have now satisfactorily answered your question, which I thank
you for asking, I remain, with sincere compliments,

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

TO E. L. BURLINGAME

_Vailima, Summer 1892._

MY DEAR BURLINGAME,--First of all, _you have all the corrections on The
Wrecker_. I found I had made what I meant and forgotten it, and was so
careless as not to tell you.

Second, of course, and by all means, charge corrections on the Samoa
book to me; but there are not near so many as I feared. The Lord hath
dealt bountifully with me, and I believe all my advisers were amazed to
see how nearly correct I had got the truck, at least I was. With this
you will receive the whole revise and a type-written copy of the last
chapter. And the thing now is Speed, to catch a possible revision of the
treaty. I believe Cassells are to bring it out, but Baxter knows, and
the thing has to be crammed through _prestissimo, a la chasseur_.

You mention the belated Barbeys; what about the equally belated Pineros?
And I hope you will keep your bookshop alive to supplying me
continuously with the _Saga Library_. I cannot get enough of _Sagas_; I
wish there were nine thousand; talk about realism!

All seems to flourish with you; I also prosper; none the less for being
quit of that abhorred task, Samoa. I could give a supper party here were
there any one to sup. Never was such a disagreeable task, but the thing
had to be told....

There, I trust I am done with this cursed chapter of my career, bar the
rotten eggs and broken bottles that may follow, of course