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her； while at the same time it； by its very presence； ministers improvement； exactly as the sunlight disperses mist and all unhealthy vapours； germs； and microbes。
The problem dramatist； in place of broad effect and truth to nature； must find it in stress of invention and resource of that kind。 Thus care and concentration must be all in all with him … he must never let himself go； or get so interested and taken with his characters that THEY； in a sense； control or direct him。 He is all too conscious a 〃maker〃 and must pay for his originality by what in the end is really painful and overweighted work。 This； I take it； is the reason why so many of the modern dramatists find their work so hard； and are； comparatively； so slow in the production of it； while they would fain； by many devices； secure the general impression or appeal made to all classes alike by the natural or what we may call spontaneous drama； they are yet； by the necessity of subject matter and methods of dealing with it； limited to the real interest of a special class … to whom is finally given up what was meant for mankind … and the troublesome and trying task laid on them； to try as best they may to reconcile two really conflicting tendencies which cannot even by art be reconciled but really point different ways and tend to different ends。 As the impressionist and the pre…Raphaelite； in the sister…art of painting cannot be combined and reconciled in one painter … so it is here； by conception and methods they go different ways； and if they SEEK the same end； it is by opposing processes … the original conception alike of nature and of art dictating the process。
As for Stevenson； it was no lack of care or concentration in anything that he touched； these two were never lacking； but because his subtlety； mystical bias and dreaminess； and theorising on human nature made this to him impossible。 He might have concentrated as much as he pleased； concentrated as much as even Mr Pinero desires； but he would not have made a successful drama； because he was Robert Louis Stevenson； and not Mr Pinero； and too long； as he himself confessed； had a tendency to think bad…heartedness was strength； while the only true and enduring joy attainable in this world … whether by deduction from life itself； or from IMPRESSIONS of art or of the drama； is simply the steady； unassailable； and triumphant consciousness that it is not so； but the reverse； that goodness and self…sacrifice and self…surrender are the only strength in the universe。 Just as Byron had it with patriotism：…
〃Freedom's battle once begun； Bequeathed from bleeding sire to son； Tho' baffled oft is ever won。〃
To go consciously either in fiction or in the drama for bad… heartedness as strength； is to court failure … the broad； healthy； human heart； thank Heaven； is so made as to resent the doctrine； and if a fiction or a play based on this idea for the moment succeeds； it can only be because of strength in other elements； or because of partial blindness and partially paralysed moral sense in the case of those who accept it and joy in it。 If Mr Pinero directly disputes this； then he and I have no common standing… ground； and I need not follow the matter any further。 Of course； the dramatist may； under mistaken sympathy and in the midst of complex and bewildering concatenations； give wrong readings to his audience； but he must not be always doing even that； or doing it on principle or system； else his work； however careful and concentrated； will before long share the fate of the Stevenson… Henley dramas confessedly wrought when the authors all too definitely held bad…heartedness was strength。
CHAPTER XV … THEORY OF GOOD AND EVIL
WE have not hitherto concerned ourselves； in any express sense； with the ethical elements involved in the tendency now dwelt on； though they are； of necessity； of a very vital character。 We have shown only as yet the effect of this mood of mind on dramatic intention and effort。 The position is simply that there is； broadly speaking； the endeavour to eliminate an element which is essential to successful dramatic presentation。 That element is the eternal distinction； speaking broadly； between good and evil … between right and wrong … between the secret consciousness of having done right； and the consciousness of mere strength and force in certain other ways。
Nothing else will make up for vagueness and cloudiness here … no technical skill； no apt dialogue nor concentration； any more than 〃fine speeches；〃 as Mr Pinero calls them。 Now the dramatic demand and the ethical demand here meet and take each other's hands； and will not be separated。 This is why Mr Stevenson and Mr Henley … young men of great talent； failed … utterly failed … they thought they could make a hero out of a shady and dare…devil yet really cowardly villain generally … and failed。
The spirit of this is of the clever youth type … all too ready to forego the moral for the sake of the fun any day of the week； and the unthinking selfishness and self…enjoyment of youth … whose tender mercies are often cruel； are transcendent in it。 As Stevenson himself said； they were young men then and fancied bad… heartedness was strength。 Perhaps it was a sense of this that made R。 L。 Stevenson speak as he did of the EBB…TIDE with Huish the cockney in it； after he was powerless to recall it； which made him say； as we have seen； that the closing chapters of THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE 〃SHAME； AND PERHAPS DEGRADE； THE BEGINNING。〃 He himself came to see then the great error； but； alas！ it was too late to remedy it … he could but go forward to essay new tales； not backward to put right errors in what was done。
Did Mr William Archer have anything of this in his mind and the far…reaching effects on this side； when he wrote the following：
〃Let me add that the omission with which； in 1885； I mildly reproached him … the omission to tell what he knew to be an essential part of the truth about life … was abundantly made good in his later writings。 It is true that even in his final philosophy he still seems to me to underrate； or rather to shirk； the significance of that most compendious parable which he thus relates in a letter to Mr Henry James：… 'Do you know the story of the man who found a button in his hash； and called the waiter？ 〃What do you call that？〃 says he。 〃Well；〃 said the waiter； 〃what d'you expect？ Expect to find a gold watch and chain？〃 Heavenly apologue； is it not？' Heavenly； by all means； but I think Stevenson relished the humour of it so much that he 'smiling passed the moral by。' In his enjoyment of the waiter's effrontery； he forgot to sympathise with the man （even though it was himself） who had broken his teeth upon the harmful； unnecessary button。 He forgot that all the apologetics in the world are based upon just this audacious paralogism。〃
Many writers have done the same … and not a few critics have hinted at this： I do not think any writer has got at the radical truth of it more directly； decisively； and clearly than 〃J。 F。 M。；〃 in a monthly magazine； about the time of Stevenson's death； and the whole is so good and clear that I must quote it … the writer was not thinking of the drama specially； only of prose fiction； and this but makes the passage the more effective and apt to my point。
〃In the outburst of regret which followed the death of Robert Louis Stevenson； one leading journal dwelt on his too early removal in middle life 'with only half his message delivered。' Such a phrase may have been used in the mere cant of modern journalism。 Still it set one questioning what was Stevenson's message； or at least that part of it which we had time given us to hear。
〃Wonderful as was the popularity of the dead author； we are inclined to doubt whether the right appreciation of him was half as wide。 To a certain section of the public he seemed a successful writer of boys' books； which yet held captive older people。 Now； undoubtedly there was an element （not the highest） in his work which fascinated boys。 It gratified their yearning for adventure。 To too large a number of his readers； we suspect； this remains Stevenson's chief charm； though even of those there were many able to recognise and be thankful for the literary power and grace which could serve up their sanguinary diet so daintily。
〃Most of Stevenson's titles； too； like TREASURE ISLAND； KIDNAPPED； and THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE； tended to foster delusion in this direction。 The books were largely bought for gifts by maiden aunts； and bestowed as school prizes； when it might not have been so had their titles given more indication of their real scope and tendency。
〃All this； it seems to us； has somewhat obscured Stevenson's true power； which is surely that of an arch…delineator of 'human nature' and of the devious ways of men。 As we read him we feel that we have our finger on the pulse of the cruel politics of the world。 He has the Shakespearean gift which makes us recognise that his pirates and his statesmen； with their violence and their murders and their perversions of justice； are swayed by t