on,

R. L. S.

I will try again, being a giant refreshed by the house being empty. The
presence of people is the great obstacle to letter-writing. I deny that
letters should contain news (I mean mine; those of other people should).
But mine should contain appropriate sentiments and humorous nonsense, or
nonsense without the humour. When the house is empty, the mind is seized
with a desire--no, that is too strong--a willingness to pour forth
unmitigated rot, which constitutes (in me) the true spirit of
correspondence. When I have no remarks to offer (and nobody to offer
them to), my pen flies, and you see the remarkable consequence of a page
literally covered with words and genuinely devoid of sense. I can always
do that, if quite alone, and I like doing it; but I have yet to learn
that it is beloved by correspondents. The deuce of it is, that there is
no end possible but the end of the paper; and as there is very little
left of that--if I cannot stop writing--suppose you give up reading. It
would all come to the same thing; and I think we should all be
happier....

TO W. H. LOW

In the following letter R. L. S. accepts the dedication of Mr. Low's
illustrated edition of Keats's _Lamia_, and sends him in return the
newly published _Jekyll and Hyde_, and a set of verses afterwards
printed in the Century Magazine and _Underwoods_, and inscribed by
Mr. St. Gaudens on his medallion portrait of the author. The terms of
the _Lamia_ dedication are as follows: "In testimony of loyal
friendship and of a common faith in doubtful tales from Faery-Land, I
dedicate to Robert Louis Stevenson my work in this book." The Latin
legend inscribed above the design runs: "Neque est ullum certius
amicitiae vinculum quam consensus et societas consiliorum et
voluntatum."

[_Skerryvore, Bournemouth_] _Jan. 2nd, 1886._

MY DEAR LOW,--_Lamia_ has come, and I do not know how to thank you, not
only for the beautiful art of the designs, but for the handsome and apt
words of the dedication. My favourite is "Bathes unseen," which is a
masterpiece; and the next, "Into the green recessed woods," is perhaps
more remarkable, though it does not take my fancy so imperiously. The
night scene at Corinth pleases me also. The second part offers fewer
opportunities. I own I should like to see both _Isabella_ and the _Eve_
thus illustrated; and then there's _Hyperion_--O, yes, and _Endymion_! I
should like