to Gordon Browne

Vailima, Samoa, Autumn 1892.

To the Artist who did the illustrations to ‘Uma.’

DEAR SIR,—I only know you under the initials G. B., but you have done some exceedingly spirited and satisfactory illustrations to my story The Beach of Falesà, and I wish to write and thank you expressly for the care and talent shown.  Such numbers of people can do good black and whites!  So few can illustrate a story, or apparently read it.  You have shown that you can do both, and your creation of Wiltshire is a real illumination of the text.  It was exactly so that Wiltshire dressed and looked, and you have the line of his nose to a nicety.  His nose is an inspiration.  Nor should I forget to thank you for Case, particularly in his last appearance.  It is a singular fact—which seems to point still more directly to inspiration in your case—that your missionary actually resembles the flesh-and-blood person from whom Mr. Tarleton was drawn.  The general effect of the islands is all that could be wished; indeed I have but one criticism to make, that in the background of Case taking the dollar from Mr. Tarleton’s head—head—not hand, as the fools have printed it—the natives have a little too much the look of Africans.

But the great affair is that you have been to the pains to illustrate my story instead of making conscientious black and whites of people sitting talking.  I doubt if you have left unrepresented a single pictorial incident.  I am writing by this mail to the editor in the hopes that I may buy from him the originals, and I am, dear sir, your very much obliged,

Robert Louis Stevenson.