to Thomas Stevenson

[Bonallie Towers, Bournemouth,] 14th January 1885.

MY DEAR FATHER,—I am glad you like the changes.  I own I was pleased with my hand’s darg; you may observe, I have corrected several errors which (you may tell Mr. Dick) he had allowed to pass his eagle eye; I wish there may be none in mine; at least, the order is better.  The second title, ‘Some new Engineering Questions involved in the M. S. C. Scheme of last Session of P.’, likes me the best.  I think it a very good paper; and I am vain enough to think I have materially helped to polish the diamond.  I ended by feeling quite proud of the paper, as if it had been mine; the next time you have as good a one, I will overhaul it for the wages of feeling as clever as I did when I had managed to understand and helped to set it clear.  I wonder if I anywhere misapprehended you?  I rather think not at the last; at the first shot I know I missed a point or two.  Some of what may appear to you to be wanton changes, a little study will show to be necessary.

Yes, Carlyle was ashamed of himself as few men have been; and let all carpers look at what he did.  He prepared all these papers for publication with his own hand; all his wife’s complaints, all the evidence of his own misconduct: who else would have done so much?  Is repentance, which God accepts, to have no avail with men? nor even with the dead?  I have heard too much against the thrawn, discomfortable dog: dead he is, and we may be glad of it; but he was a better man than most of us, no less patently than he was a worse.  To fill the world with whining is against all my views: I do not like impiety.  But—but—there are two sides to all things, and the old scalded baby had his noble side.—Ever affectionate son,

R. L. S.