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BY G. K. CHESTERTON
NEW YORK DODD, MEAD & COMPANY 1928
COPYRIGHT, 1928 By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE VAIL-BALLOU PRESS, INC., BINGHAMTON, N. Y.
CHAPTER
I
"THE MYTH OF STEVENSON" II IN THE COUNTRY OF SKELT III YOUTH AND EDINBURGH IV THE REACTION TO ROMANCE V THE SCOTTISH STORIES VI THE STYLE OF STEVENSON VII EXPERIMENT AND RANGE VIII THE LIMITS OF A CRAFT IX THE PHILOSOPHY OF GESTURE X THE MORAL OF STEVENSON
CHAPTER I
"THE MYTH OF STEVENSON"
IN this brief study of Stevenson I propose to follow a somewhat unusual course; or to sketch what may be considered a rather eccentric outline. It can only be justified in practice; and I have a healthy fear that my practice will not justify it. Nevertheless, I have not adopted it without considerable thought, and even doubt, about the best way of dealing with a real and practical problem. So before it collapses completely in practice, I will give myself the triumph and the joy of justifying it in principle.
The difficulty arises thus. In the great days of Stevenson critics had begun to be ashamed of being critics, and of giving to their ancient function the name of criticism. It was the fashion to publish a book that was a bundle of reviews and to call it "Appreciations." But the world advances; and if that sort of book is published now, it might well bear the general title of "Depreciations." Stevenson has suffered more than most from thi