DEATH OF B. L. STEVENSON. Auckland, December 17.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 30

DEATH OF B. L. STEVENSON. Auckland, December 17.

By the Upolu, which arrived from Samoa to-day, intelligence was brought of the death of Mr Robert Louis Stevenson, the celebrated novelist. The deceased waa hard at his work till 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Two hours later he complained to his wife of strange pains in his neck, and almost immediately became unconscious. The members of his family were called in and medical assistance obtained, but when the doctor arrived he saw no hope, and Mr Stevenson expired at 8.10 p.m. The cause of his death was apoplexy. Mr Stevenson's death occurred on December 3. His health of late had been so improved that his relatives hoped his lung trouble had gradually ceased to be absolutely dangerous, though for a loog time hemorrhage had been in evidence. It was also hoped that the predictions of the family that his forty-fifth year would be safely passed, and that the sensitiveness of his lung would disappear, might be verified. Apoplexy waa not contemplated Mr Stevenson, being for a time in roburt health, had put through an enormous amount of work. A very powerful novel, to be called "The Weir of Hermister, or The Justice's Clerk," was about half finished, aud its author was looking forward to its being launched on the literary world as one of his best productions. Immediately previous to the attack Mr Stevenson was superintending the manufacture of a special salad dresuiug. He suddenly f«lt pains iv the head, and almost instantaneously foil dpwn. He w»s laid on a small k)Oii»tead, and there remained surroundtd by his family till the end. His face wore such a calm aud composed look that it was difficult, to rtalise that life had deported. On Tuesday the remains were interwi oq a plat«jia on the summit of Mount Vala, 1300fb above the sea level. The service was attended by 20 Europeans and 60 Samoans, and was highly impressive. It may be of infere&t to mention that Mr Sleveii'on was a uofhewcf the late Mr Bilfour, provincial marine eng'n> er ot Otaga, whose useful career was cut short by death irom drowning.

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (generally koowu as Louis Stevenson) was born in Edinburgh November 13, 1850, and is a son of Thomas Stevenson, the author of " Lighthouse Optics." He w»3 educated afc privnte schools and at the University ef Edinburgh ; and was called to the Scottish Bar, but travelled and devoted himself to literature. One of bis earliest works was an account of his travels in California, but tha book which established his reputation as a writer of fiction was "Treasure Island," published in 1883. Amongst the most popular of his works is "Or Jekyll and Mr Hyde," which was dramatised and played at the Lyceum Theatre in 1888. Mr Stevenson bas also written a life of his father, the celebrated lighthouse engineer. The New York «• Critic " cays of Robert Louis Stevenson : "Truly iv his power to harrow up the soul, freeze the young blood, &c , Stevenson is unsurpassed by modern writers. We feel our fiVsh cr«ep on our bonei as we ait absorbed in somo of his weird aT-.il witch-like tales. Then, though we may be aghimed to confess it, we seem to 1030 our years, and shrink into an eager, uninitiated boy once moro as we hudiile over ♦Treasure Inland,' or • Kidnapped," The New Arabian Nights,' or • Th»? Bhck Arrow,' letting the hour hand go on to midnight unheeded. We may protest that it is the sheerest juvenile nonsense in the world, but none the less are we held by the spell. There are no pauses, no tame meanderuurs when we might break away

and be gone, but the racy narrator hurries vi on over adventurous by-ways, twi*tiugand turning*, bursting upon new surprises, dashing into dangerous pitfalls, until breathless we come plump into an unwelcome Finis, and olose the book perforce." — " Men of the Time."