in me such a favourable impression; and I find myself telling myself,
"O, I must tell this to Lysaght," or, "This will interest him," in a
manner very unusual after so brief an acquaintance. The whole of my
family shared in this favourable impression, and my halls have re-echoed
ever since, I am sure he will be amused to know, with _Widdicombe Fair_.

He will have told you doubtless more of my news than I could tell you
myself; he has your European perspective, a thing long lost to me. I
heard with a great deal of interest the news of Box Hill. And so I
understand it is to be enclosed! Allow me to remark, that seems a far
more barbaric trait of manners than the most barbarous of ours. We
content ourselves with cutting off an occasional head.

I hear we may soon expect _The Amazing Marriage_. You know how long, and
with how much curiosity, I have looked forward to the book. Now, in so
far as you have adhered to your intention, Gower Woodseer will be a
family portrait, age twenty-five, of the highly respectable and slightly
influential and fairly aged _Tusitala_. You have not known that
gentleman; console yourself, he is not worth knowing. At the same time,
my dear Meredith, he is very sincerely yours--for what he is worth, for
the memories of old times, and in the expectation of many pleasures
still to come. I suppose we shall never see each other again; flitting
youths of the Lysaght species may occasionally cover these
unconscionable leagues and bear greetings to and fro. But we ourselves
must be content to converse on an occasional sheet of notepaper, and I
shall never see whether you have grown older, and you shall never
deplore that Gower Woodseer should have declined into the pantaloon
_Tusitala_. It is perhaps better so. Let us continue to see each other
as we were, and accept, my dear Meredith, my love and respect.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

_P.S._--My wife joins me in the kindest messages to yourself and
Mariette.

TO CHARLES BAXTER

_[Vailima], April 17, '94._

MY DEAR CHARLES,--_St. Ives_ is now well on its way into the second
volume. There remains no mortal doubt that it will reach the
three-volume standard.

I am very anxious that you should send me--

1st. _Tom and Jerry_, a cheap edition.

2nd. The book by Ashton--the _Dawn of the Century_, I think it was
called--which Colvin sent me, and which has miscarried, and

3rd. If it is possible, a file of the Edinburgh Courant for