h, for you too have lived in Arcadia! I embrace you
fondly, if you will kindly permit it--every one; beginning with the
Babe, so as to give me proper presumption, and working my way steadily
up. Good-bye till soon again.

"Yours, my dear Teuila, very constantly,

"Henry James."

Except for this unfortunate illness the family spent a pleasant summer
in England, in a little cottage surrounded by an old-fashioned garden
near Burford.

[Illustration: From a photograph by Hollinger, London. Mrs. Robert
Louis Stevenson.]

One of the purposes of this visit to England was Mrs. Stevenson's
desire to carry out one of her husband's last requests. In a letter
not to be opened until after his death he asked that, if the
arrangements already made for the writing and publication of his
biography by Sidney Colvin should not have been carried out within
four years, it should be placed in the hands of some other person. As
the four years had elapsed and nothing had been done in the matter, it
was decided that Graham Balfour, Stevenson's cousin and devoted
friend, should undertake the task; and when Mrs. Stevenson had
partially recovered from her illness she removed to the Balfour
residence and gave her assistance for some time in laying out the
plans for the book.

Her convalescence was very slow, and, finding the damp climate of
England unfavourable, she finally decided to move to the island of
Madeira for rest and recuperation. Accompanied by her son and his
family, her daughter having left for New York City to join her son,
Austin Strong, she travelled by slow stages through France, Spain, and
Portugal, reaching Madeira in the early part of December, 1898. From
Lisbon they sailed in a filthy little Portuguese steamer, freighted
with hay and kerosene, and the passengers, in utter disregard of the
inflammable nature of the cargo, scattered cigarette ends and lighted
matches all over the ship. However, a kind Providence carried them to
port without accident.

After a most uncomfortable voyage of two days and nights they drew
into the beautiful bay of Funchal, with its curving shore and
background of lofty mountains. The _quintas_, or country-houses, each
surrounded by a terraced garden and vineyard, which dotted the slopes,
gave a cheerful air to the landscape. Mrs. Stevenson speaks of it as
the "most picturesque place" she ever saw, and she had seen many of
the beauty spots of the worl