Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/661

* STEVENSON. 567 STEVIN. Island, a tale of pure adventure. Dr. Jcki/Il and Mr. Hyde (18S0), a striking etliical parable un- der the guise of fiction, attracted the more thoughtful and was recommended from many a pulpit. In the same year appeared Kidiiajijied, which, with its sequel David Balfour (1893) and the Master of Ballantrae ( 18811 ), offered vivid pictures of the Scottish life of the past. In 1888, still in quest of health, he left San Francisco with his family on a voyage to the South Seas. Pleased with the scenery and the people of Samoa, he made a permanent home for himself there in 1890 and acquired a position of conniianding influence among the natives. After an heroic struggle against constiniption, he died, through the rupture of a blood-vessel in the brain, December 3, 1894, and was buried on the peak of Jlount Vaea, .above Vailima, his Samoan home. Active to the last, he left several manu- scripts, among which were two romances. ^Xcir of Hermiston (1896) and St. Zt'es (completed by Quiller-Couch, 1897). The former, which no writer was bold enough to touch, is generally considered, even in its unfinished state, Steven- son's masterpiece. Others of his works which deserve special mention are: The Silverado Squatters (1883) ; Prince Otto (188.5), a dainty romantic tale; three books written in collabo- ration with his stepson, Llovd Osbourne, The nVoHf/ Box (1888), The Wrecker (1892), and The Ehh Tide (1894); a volume of exquisite verse, Underwoods (1887); A Child's Garden of Verses (1885); The Merrj/ Men and Other Tales (1886), a volume of short stories in which his mastery over the grim and terrible best shows itself; Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin (1887) ; and Father Damien, an Open Letter (pamphlet, 1890). iniique among Stevenson's writings, and one of the most powerful apologia in English. In both fiction and essays Stevenson displays the possession of an exquisite and finished .style ; his work is that of a true artist in words, and his example stinuilated many of the younger artists of the day to more or less conscious imitation. His inlluence was also great in regard to the subject-matter of fiction. At a time when the novel had forgotten to tell a story and was running into minute philosophical analysis, Stevenson came forward with adventure as pure- ly romantic as Scott's, though in structure, in method of description and narrative, and in brilliancy of style he marks the great technical advance which had been made since the days of the Wavcrlei/ yorels. But it was not only the many delightful qualities of his written work which made Stevenson the best loved writer of his time; even more, perhaps, he was endeared to countless readers by the frank revelation of a most engaging personality, which shines through all his works — of a serene nndairated cheerfulness, gained not by shutting his eyes to the pathos and the difficulty of human conditions, but by a brave rising to the height of their de- mands and an unwavering sense of the compen- sations which such an attitude offers. The most nearly cpmpleted collection of his works is the sumptuous Edinburgh edition, edited by Sidney Colvin (1894-98) ; two volumes of charming letters arranged by the same editor, with much biographical matter, appeared in 1890. and the Vailimn Letters, written from Samoa in 189.5. Consult also the biographies by his cousin Graham Balfour (London, 1901), Baildon (ib., 1901), Black (Edinburgh, 1898), and Cornford (ib.. 1899) ; also Simpson, Steven- son's Edinburgh Days (London, 1898); Eraser, In Stevenson's Samoa (ib., 1895) ; Osbourne and Strong, Memories of VatHma. (ib., 1903) ; and critical studies by Raleigh (London, 1895) ; James, in Partial Portraits (ib., 1888) ; Chap- man, in Emerson and Other Essays (New York, 1896). See also English Liter.tu»e ; No'EL; EOMANTICISII. STEVENSON, S.».BA (YoRKE) (1847—). An American archaeologist, born in Paris, France. She was educated in Paris at the Cours Remy and the Institut Descauriet, resided in Mexico in 1862-67, and later became known as an archa-ologist. In 1889 she was an organizer of the department of archaeology of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1890 became curator of its Egyptian and Mediterranean sections, and in 1894 its secretary. She also received the secre- taryship of the American Exploration Society in 1897 and the presidency of the Pennsylvania branch of the Archaeological Institute of America in 1899; in 1898 visited Egypt for the Explora- tion Society and the city of Philadelphia ; and in 1893 was vice-president of the jury on ethnol- ogy at the World's Columbian Exposition. Among her writings are various papers and articles on archa?olo!r', and the volume Maximilian in Mex- ico (1898). STE'VENS POINT. The county-seat of Port- age County, Wis., 150 miles nortlro'est of Mil- waukee, on the Wisconsin River, and on the Wisconsin Central Railroad (Jlap: Wisconsin, D 4). It is the seat of a State normal school, and has a Polish normal academy and a public library. The region is one of the richest lumber- ing sections in the State. It also has some mineral wealth and there is excellent water power. There are saw mills, paper mills, knit- ting mills, a foundry, and manufactories of sashes and door.s. furniture (including tables and desks), engines, boxes, wall paper, etc. The manufacture of artificial flies for fishing is an important industry. The government is vested in a mayor, elected biennially, and a unicameral council. Stevens Point was settled in 1830, and received its present charter in 1897. Population, in 1890, 7896; in 1900, 9524. STEVIN, SiMOX (1548-1620). A Dutch mathematician, physicist, and engineer, bnm in Bruges. After being a merchant and traveling extensively through Europe, he enjoyed the favor of Prince JIaurice of Orange, holding tuider his appointment civil and military offices, his scien- tific qualifications making him particulaidy valu- able in military engineering, where he enjoyed a high reputation. He is best known for his mathe- matical work which led to the introduction of decimal fractions, and he stated that the uni- versal use of a decimal system of coinage, meas- ures, and weights was bound to come. He also made valu.able contributions to mechanics and physics, demonstrating the resolution of forces, the equilibrium of forces on an inclined plane, showing the difference between stable and un- stable equilibrium, and the fact that the pressure of a liquid is independent of the shape of the containing vessel and depends merely upon the height and area of the base. He vrote on double- entry bookkeeping and adapted it to the material needs of Prince Maurice. Stevin's mathematical