Robert Louis Stevenson and I, sitting in Union Square and Washington Square
a great many years ago, tried to find a name for, the submerged fame, that fame
that permeates the great crowd of people you never see and never mingle with;
people with whom you have no speech, but who read your books and become admirers
of your work and have an affection for you. You may never find it out in the
world, but there it is, and it is the faithfulness of the friendship, of the
homage of those men, never criticizing, that began when they were children.
They have nothing but compliments they never see the criticisms, they never
hear any disparagement of you, and you will remain in the home of their hearts'
affection forever and ever. And Louis Stevenson and I decided that of all fame,
that was the best, the very best.
- from speech, 1/11/1908
A 1907 print
by Francis Luis Mora records the conversation between Robert Louis Stevenson
and Clemens on a bench in the square.
From the Dave Thomson collection.
The original illustration is now in the Grill
Collection of the National Arts Club.
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