the letters-2-第62节
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VAILIMA； JUNE 1894。
MY DEAR BOB； … I must make out a letter this mail or perish in the
attempt。 All the same； I am deeply stupid； in bed with a cold；
deprived of my amanuensis； and conscious of the wish but not the
furnished will。 You may be interested to hear how the family
inquiries go。 It is now quite certain that we are a second…rate
lot； and came out of Cunningham or Clydesdale； therefore BRITISH
folk； so that you are Cymry on both sides； and I Cymry and Pict。
We may have fought with King Arthur and known Merlin。 The first of
the family； Stevenson of Stevenson； was quite a great party； and
dates back to the wars of Edward First。 The last male heir of
Stevenson of Stevenson died 1670； 220 pounds； 10s。 to the bad； from
drink。 About the same time the Stevensons； who were mostly in
Cunningham before； crop up suddenly in the parish of Neilston； over
the border in Renfrewshire。 Of course； they may have been there
before； but there is no word of them in that parish till 1675 in
any extracts I have。 Our first traceable ancestor was a tenant
farmer of Muir of Cauldwells … James in Nether…Carsewell。
Presently two families of maltmen are found in Glasgow； both； by
re…duplicated proofs； related to James （the son of James） in Nether
Carsewell。 We descend by his second marriage from Robert； one of
these died 1733。 It is not very romantic up to now； but has
interested me surprisingly to fish out； always hoping for more …
and occasionally getting at least a little clearness and
confirmation。 But the earliest date； 1655； apparently the marriage
of James in Nether Carsewell； cannot as yet be pushed back。 From
which of any number of dozen little families in Cunningham we
should derive； God knows！ Of course； it doesn't matter a hundred
years hence； an argument fatal to all human enterprise； industry；
or pleasure。 And to me it will be a deadly disappointment if I
cannot roll this stone away！ One generation further might be
nothing； but it is my present object of desire； and we are so near
it！ There is a man in the same parish called Constantine； if I
could only trace to him； I could take you far afield by that one
talisman of the strange Christian name of Constantine。 But no such
luck！ And I kind of fear we shall stick at James。
So much； though all inchoate； I trouble you with； knowing that you；
at least； must take an interest in it。 So much is certain of that
strange Celtic descent； that the past has an interest for it
apparently gratuitous； but fiercely strong。 I wish to trace my
ancestors a thousand years； if I trace them by gallowses。 It is
not love； not pride； not admiration； it is an expansion of the
identity； intimately pleasing； and wholly uncritical； I can expend
myself in the person of an inglorious ancestor with perfect
comfort； or a disgraced； if I could find one。 I suppose； perhaps；
it is more to me who am childless； and refrain with a certain shock
from looking forwards。 But； I am sure； in the solid grounds of
race； that you have it also in some degree。
I。 JAMES； a tenant of the Muirs； in Nether…Carsewell；
Neilston； married （1665？） Jean Keir。
｜｜ ｜
｜｜ ｜
｜｜ ｜
＋…＋
II。 ROBERT （Maltman in Glasgow）； died 1733；
｜ married 1st； married second；
｜ Elizabeth Cumming。
｜ ｜｜
｜ ｜｜
William （Maltman in ｜｜
Glasgow）。 ＋＋
｜ ｜
｜ ｜
＋…＋＋ III。 ROBERT （Maltman
ROBERT； MARION； ELIZABETH。 in Glasgow）； married
Margaret Fulton （had
NOTE。 … Between 1730…1766 flourished a large family）。
in Glasgow Alan the Coppersmith； who ｜｜
acts as a kind of a pin to the whole ｜｜
Stevenson system there。 He was caution IV。 ALAN； West India
to Robert the Second's will； and to merchant； married
William's will； and to the will of a Jean Lillie。
John； another maltman。 ｜｜
｜｜
V。 ROBERT； married
Jean Smith。
｜
VI。 ALAN。 … Margaret
Jones
｜
VII。 R。 A。 M。 S。
Enough genealogy。 I do not know if you will be able to read my
hand。 Unhappily； Belle； who is my amanuensis； is out of the way on
other affairs； and I have to make the unwelcome effort。 （O this is
beautiful； I am quite pleased with myself。） Graham has just
arrived last night （my mother is coming by the other steamer in
three days）； and has told me of your meeting； and he said you
looked a little older than I did； so that I suppose we keep step
fairly on the downward side of the hill。 He thought you looked
harassed； and I could imagine that too。 I sometimes feel harassed。
I have a great family here about me； a great anxiety。 The loss （to
use my grandfather's expression）； the 'loss' of our family is that
we are disbelievers in the morrow … perhaps I should say； rather；
in next year。 The future is ALWAYS black to us； it was to Robert
Stevenson； to Thomas； I suspect to Alan； to R。 A。 M。 S。 it was so
almost to his ruin in youth； to R。 L。 S。； who had a hard hopeful
strain in him from his mother； it was not so much so once； but
becomes daily more so。 Daily so much more so； that I have a
painful difficulty in believing I can ever finish another book； or
that the public will ever read it。
I have so huge a desire to know exactly what you are doing； that I
suppose I should tell you what I am doing by way of an example。 I
have a room now； a part of the twelve…foot verandah sparred in； at
the most inaccessible end of the house。 Daily I see the sunrise
out of my bed； which I still value as a tonic； a perpetual tuning
fork； a look of God's face once in the day。 At six my breakfast
comes up to me here； and I work till eleven。 If I am quite well； I
sometimes go out and bathe in the river before lunch； twelve。 In
the afternoon I generally work again； now alone drafting； now with
Belle dictating。 Dinner is at six； and I am often in bed by eight。
This is supposing me to stay at home。 But I must often be away；
sometimes all day long； sometimes till twelve； one； or two at
night； when you might see me coming home to the sleeping house；
sometimes in a trackless darkness； sometimes with a glorious tropic
moon； everything drenched with dew … unsaddling and creeping to
bed； and you would no longer be surprised that I live out in this
country； and not in Bournemouth … in bed。
My great recent interruptions have （as you know） come from
politics； not much in my line； you will say。 But it is impossible
to live here and not feel very sorely the consequences of the
horrid white mismanagement。 I tried standing by and looking on；
and it became too much for me。 They are such illogical fools； a
logical fool in an office； with a lot of red tape； is conceivable。
Furthermore； he is as much as we have any reason to expect of
officials … a thoroughly common…place； unintellectual lot。 But
these people are wholly on wires； laying their ears down； skimming
away； pausing as though shot； and presto！ full spread on the other
tack。 I observe in the official class mostly an insane jealousy of
the smallest kind； as compared to which the artist's is of a grave；
modest character … the actor's； even； a desire to extend his little
authority； and to relish it like a glass of wine； that is
IMPAYABLE。 Sometimes； when I see one of these little kings
strutting over one of his victories … wholly illegal； perhaps； and
certain to be reversed to his shame if his superiors ever heard of
it … I could weep。 The strange thing is that they HAVE NOTHING
ELSE。 I auscultate them in vain； no real sense of duty； no real
comprehension； no real attempt to comprehend； no wish for
information … you cannot offend one of them more bitterly than by
offering information； though it is certain that you have MORE； and
obvious that you have OTHER； information than they have； and
talking of policy； they could not play a better stroke than by
listening to you； and it need by no means influence their action。
TENEZ； you know what a French post office or railway official is？
That is the diplomatic card to the life。 Dickens is not in it；
caricature fails。
All this keeps me from my work； and gives me the
