This and the following letters were written after Stevenson's return
to Scotland. The essay _Ordered South_ appeared in Macmillan's
Magazine at this date; that on Victor Hugo's romances in the Cornhill
a little later.
_[Swanston], May 1874, Monday._
We are now at Swanston Cottage, Lothianburn, Edinburgh. The garden is
but little clothed yet, for, you know, here we are six hundred feet
above the sea. It is very cold, and has sleeted this morning. Everything
wintry. I am very jolly, however, having finished Victor Hugo, and just
looking round to see what I should next take up. I have been reading
Roman Law and Calvin this morning.
_Evening._--I went up the hill a little this afternoon. The air was
invigorating, but it was so cold that my scalp was sore. With this high
wintry wind, and the grey sky, and faint northern daylight, it was quite
wonderful to hear such a clamour of blackbirds coming up to me out of
the woods, and the bleating of sheep being shorn in a field near the
garden, and to see golden patches of blossom already on the furze, and
delicate green shoots upright and beginning to frond out, among last
year's russet bracken. Flights of crows were passing continually between
the wintry leaden sky and the wintry cold-looking hills. It was the
oddest conflict of seasons. A wee rabbit--this year's making, beyond
question--ran out from under my feet, and was in a pretty perturbation,
until he hit upon a lucky juniper and blotted himself there promptly.
Evidently this gentleman had not had much experience of life.
I have made an arrangement with my people: I am to have L84 a year--I
only asked for L80 on mature reflection--and as I should soon make a
good bit by my pen, I shall be very comfortable. We are all as jolly as
can be together, so that is a great thing gained.
_Wednesday._--Yesterday I received a letter that gave me much pleasure
from a poor fellow-student of mine, who has been all winter very ill,
and seems to be but little better even now. He seems very much pleased
with _Ordered South_. "A month ago," he says, "I could scarcely have
ventured to read it; to-day I felt on reading it as I did on the first
day that I was able to sun myself a little in the open air." And much
more to the like effect. It is very gratifying.--Ever your faithful
friend,