Mataafahasbeenproclaimedarebel；thePresidentdidthisact，andthenresigned。Bysingulargoodfortune，Mataafahasnotyetmoved；nothankstoouridiotgovernors。Theyhaveshottheirbolt；theyhavemadearebeloftheonlymanTOTHEIROWNKNOWLEDGE，ONTHEREPORTOFTHEIROWNSPYwhoheldtherebelpartyincheck；andhavingthuscalledonwartofall，theycandonomore，sitequally’expertes’ofVIS
　　andcounsel，regardingtheirhandiwork。ItisalwaysacrywiththesefolkthatheMataafahadnoammunition。I
　　alwayssaiditwouldbefound；andweknowoffiveboat-loadsthathavefoundtheirwaytoMaliealready。Wheretherearetraders，therewillbeammunition；aphorismbyR。L。S。
　　NowwhatamItodonext？
　　LivesoftheStevensons？HISTORIASAMOAE？AHistoryforChildren？Fiction？Ihavehadtwohardmonthsatfiction；I
　　wantachange。Stevensons？Iamexpectingsomemorematerial；perhapsbetterwait。Samoa；rathertempting；mightbeusefultotheislands-andtome；foritwillbewritteninadmirabletemper；Ihaveneveragreedwithanyparty，andseemeritsandexcusesinall；shoulddoitifIdidveryslacklyandeasily，asifhalfinconversation。HistoryforChildren？ThisflowsfrommylessonstoAustin；nobookisanygood。ThebestIhaveseenisFreeman’sOLDENGLISH
　　HISTORY；buthisstyleissorasping，andachildcanlearnmore，ifhe’sclever。IfoundmysketchofgeneralAryanHistory，giveninconversation，tohavebeenpracticallycorrect-atleastwhatImeanis，Freemanhadverymuchthesamestuffinhisearlychapters，onlynotsomuch，andI
　　thoughtnotsowellplaced；andthechildrememberedsomeofit。Nowthedifficultyistogivethisgeneralideaofmainplace，growth，andmovement；itisneedfultotackitonayarn。NowScotchistheonlyHistoryIknow；itistheonlyhistoryreasonablyrepresentedinmylibrary；itisaverygoodoneformypurpose，owingtotwocivilisationshavingbeenfacetofacethroughout-orratherRomancivilisationfacetofacewithourancientbarbariclifeandgovernment，downtoyesterday，to1750anyway。ButtheTALESOFA
　　GRANDFATHERstandinmyway；IamteachingthemtoAustinnow，andtheyhaveallScott’sdefectsandallScott’shopelessmerit。Icannotcompetewiththat；andyet，sofarasregardsteachingHistory，howhehasmissedhischances！
　　IthinkI’lltry；Ireallyhavesomehistoricsense，Ifeelthatinmybones。Thenthere’sanotherthing。ScottneverknewtheHighlands；hewasalwaysaBorderer。Hehasmissedthatwhole，long，strange，patheticstoryofoursavages，and，besides，hisstyleisnotveryperspicuoustochildhood。
　　Gad，IthinkI’llhaveaflutter。Buridan’sAss！Whethertogo，whattoattack。Mustgotootherletters；shalladdtothis，ifIhavetime。
　　MYDEARCOLVIN，MYDEARCOLVIN，-IwonderhowoftenI’mgoingtowriteit。Inspiteofthelossofthreedays，asI
　　havetotell，andalotofweedingandcacaoplanting，Ihavefinishedsincethemailleftfourchapters，forty-eightpagesofmySamoahistory。Itistruethatthefirstthreehadbeenagooddealdraftedtwoyearsago，buttheyhadalltobewrittenandre-written，andthefourthchapterisallnew。
　　ChapterI。ElementsofDiscord-Native。II。ElementsofDiscord-Foreign。III。TheSuccessofLaupepa。IV。Brandeis。
　　V。Willprobablybecalled’TheRiseofMataafa。’VI。FUROR
　　CONSULARIS-adevilofalongchapter。VII。StuebelthePacificator。VIII。GovernmentundertheTreatyofBerlin。
　　IX。PracticalSuggestions。Saythree-sixthsofitaredone，maybemore；bythismailfivechaptersshouldgo，andthatshouldbeagoodhalfofit；saysixtypages。AndifyouconsiderthatIsentbylastmailtheendoftheWRECKER，comingonforseventyoreightypages，andthemailbeforethattheentireTaleoftheBEACHOFFALESA，IdonotthinkI
　　canbeaccusedofidleness。Thisismyseason；Ioftenworksixandseven，andsometimeseighthours；andthesamedayI
　　amperhapsweedingorplantingforanhourortwomore-andIdaresayyouknowwhathardworkweedingis-anditallagreeswithmeatthistimeoftheyear-like-likeidleness，ifamanofmyyearscouldbeidle。
　　MyfirstvisittoApiawasashocktome；everysecondpersontheghostofhimself，andtheplacereekingwithinfection。
　　ButIhavenotgotthethingyet，andhopetoescape。ThisshowshowmuchstrongerIam；thinkofmeflittingthroughatownofinfluenzapatientsseeminglyunscathed。Weareallonthecacaoplanting。
　　ThenextdaymywifeandIrodeovertotheGermanplantation，Vailele，whosemanagerisalmosttheonlyGermanlefttospeaktous。Seventylabourersdownwithinfluenza！
　　Itisalovelyride，half-waydownourmountaintowardsApia，thenturntotheright，fordtheriver，andthreemilesofsolitarygrassandcocoapalms，towheretheseabeatsandthewildwindblowsunceasinglyabouttheplantationhouse。
　　OnthewaydownFannysaid，’NowwhatwouldyoudoifyousawColvincomingup？’
　　NextdaywerodedowntoApiatomakecalls。
　　Yesterdaythemailcame，andthefatwasinthefire。
　　NOV。29TH？
　　BOOK。Allright。ImustsayIlikeyourorder。Andthepapersaresomeofthemuptodick，andnomistake。Iagreewithyouthelightsseemalittleturneddown。Thetruthis，IwasfarthroughifyouunderstandScots，andcamenonetoosoontotheSouthSeas，whereIwastorecoverpeaceofbodyandmind。Nomanbutmyselfknewallmybitternessinthosedays。Rememberthat，thenexttimeyouthinkIregretmyexile。Andhoweverlowthelightsare，thestuffistrue，andIbelievethemoreeffective；afterall，whatIwishtofightisthebestfoughtbyarathercheerlesspresentationofthetruth。Theworldmustreturnsomedaytothewordduty，andbedonewiththewordreward。Therearenorewards，andplentyduties。Andthesooneramanseesthatandactsuponitlikeagentlemanorafineoldbarbarian，thebetterforhimself。
　　Thereismyusualpuzzleaboutpublishers。Chattooughttohaveit，ashehasalltheotheressays；theseallbelongtome，andChattopublishesonterms。Longmanhasforgottenthetermsweareon；lethimlookupourfirstcorrespondence，andhewillseeIreservedexplicitly，aswasmyhabit，therighttorepublishasIchoose。HadthesamearrangementwithHenley，MagazineofArt，andwithTullochFraser’s-
　　Foranynecessarynoteorpreface，itwouldbearealserviceifyouwouldundertakethedutyyourself。Ishouldloveaprefacebyyou，asshortoraslongasyouchoose，threesentences，thirtypages，thethingIshouldlikeisyourname。Andtheexcuseofmygreatdistanceseemssufficient。
　　IshallreturnwiththisthesheetscorrectedasfarasI
　　havethem；therestIwillleave，ifyouwill，toyouentirely；letitbeyourbook，anddisclaimwhatyoudislikeinthepreface。Youcansayitwasatmyeagerprayer。I
　　shouldsayIamthelesswillingtopassChattoover，becausehebehavedtheotherdayinaveryhandsomemanner。HeaskedleavetoreprintDAMIEN；Igaveittohimasapresent，explainingIcouldreceivenoemolumentforapersonalattack。Andhetookoutmyshareofprofits，andsenttheminmynametotheLeperFund。IcouldnotbearafterthattotakefromhimanyofthatclassofbookswhichIhavealwaysgivenhim。Tellhimthesametermswilldo。Clarktoprint，uniformwiththeothers。
　　Ihavelostallthedayssincethisletterbeganre-handlingChapterIV。oftheSamoaracket。Idonotgoinforliterature；addressmyselftosensiblepeopleratherthantosensitive。And，indeed，itisakindofjournalism，Ihavenorighttodally；ifitistohelp，itmustcomesoon。Intwomonthsfromnowitshallbedone，andshouldbepublishedinthecourseofMarch。IproposeCassellgetsit。Iamgoingtocallit’AFootnotetoHistory:EightYearsofTroubleinSamoa，’Ibelieve。Irecoilfromseriousnames；
　　theyseemsomuchtoopretentiousforapamphlet。ItwillbeaboutthesizeofTREASUREISLAND，Ibelieve。Ofcourse，asyounowknow，mycaseofconsciencecleareditselfoff，andI
　　beganmyinterventiondirectlytooneoftheparties。Theother，theChiefJustice，Iamtoinformofmybookthefirstoccasion。Godknowsifthebookwilldoanygood-orharm；
　　butIjudgeitrighttotry。Thereisoneman’slifecertainlyinvolved；anditmaybeallourlives。Imustnotstandandslouch，butdomybestasbestIcan。Butyoumayconceivethedifficultyofahistoryextendingtothepresentweek，atleast，andwherealmostalltheactorsuponallsidesareofmypersonalacquaintance。Theonlywayistojudgeslowly，andwriteboldly，andleavetheissuetofate。
　　Iamfarindeedfromwishingtoconfinemyselftocreativework；thatisaloss，theotherrepairs；theonechanceforaman，and，aboveall，foronewhogrowselderly，ahem，istovarydrainageandrepair。ThatistheonethingIunderstand-thecultivationoftheshallowSOLUMofmybrain。ButIwouldrather，fromsoonon，bereleasedfromtheobligationtowrite。Infiveorsixyearsthisplantation-supposeitandusstilltoexist-shouldprettywellsupportusandpaywages；notbefore，andalreadythesixyearsseemlongtome。Ifliteraturewerebutapastime！
　　IhaveinterruptedmyselftowritethenecessarynotificationtotheChiefJustice。
　　IseeinlookingupLongman’sletterthatitwasasusualtheletterofanobliginggentleman；sodonottroublehimwithmyreminder。Iwishallmypublisherswerenotsonice。AndIhaveafourthandafifthbayingatmyheels；butforthese，ofcourse，theymustgowanting。