The charm of the personal character of Stevenson and the romantic vicissitudes of his life are so predominant in the minds of all who knew him, or lived within earshot of his legend, that they made the ultimate position which he will take in the history of English literature somewhat difficult to decide. That he was the most attractive figure of a man of letters in his generation is admitted; and the acknowledged fascination of his character was deepened, and was extended over an extremely wide circle of readers, by the publication in 1899 of his Letters, which have sub dued even those who were rebellious to the entertainment of his books. It is therefore from the point of view of its "charm" that the genius of Stevenson must be approached, and in this respect there was between himself and his books, his manners and his style, his practice and his theory, a very unusual harmony.
The personal appearance of Stevenson has often been described: he was tall, extremely thin, dark-haired, restless, compelling atten tion with the lustre of his wonderful brown eyes. Whatever may be the ultimate order of reputation among his various books, or whatever posterity may ultimately see fit to ordain as regards the popularity of any of them, it is difficult to believe that the time will ever come in which Stevenson will not be remembered as the most beloved of the writers of that age which he did so much to cheer and stimulate. (E. G.; X.) R. L. Stevenson's other works include: Memories and Portraits (1887) ; The Merry Men and other Tales and Fables (1887) ; The Black Arrow (1888) ; Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes (1889) ; Across the Plains, with other Memories and Essays (1892), and the post humous works, Songs of Travel and other Verses (1896), St. Ives
(1899), completed by Sir A. T. Quiller Couch ; A Stevenson Medley (1899) ; In the South Seas: experiences . . . on the "Casco" (.(888) and the Equator (1889) (5900). See the Letters of Stevenson to his Family (1899), with the critical and biographical preface by Mr. Sidney Colvin; Vailima Letters, to Sidney Colvin (1895), and the Life of Robert Louis Stevenson by Graham Balfour (19oI) A com plete edition of Stevenson's works was issued at Edinburgh in 1894-98. Bibliographies of the works of R. L. Stevenson were published by J. H. Slater (1914) and by W. F. Prideaux (1917).