No program on George Eliot would be complete without a brief presentation of her poetry. A scene may be read from the Spanish Gipsy, a selection from How Lisa Loved the King, and the whole of the beautiful short poem, Oh May I Join the Choir Invisible. A description of her grave in Highgate Cemetery in London, and its inscription, may conclude.
IX—ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
1. Story of His Life—Childhood and Edinburgh University. Travels on the Continent. Trip to America. First writing for publication. Story of his books. Samoa. Reading of passages from his letters.
2. Short Stories—His fantastic imagination. Style and how he cultivated it. Readings from the New Arabian Nights. Analysis of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
3. Essays and Sketches—Variety of subject and versatility of treatment. Readings from Crabbed Age and Youth, John Knox and Women, and In the South Seas.
4. Scotch Adventures—Analysis and description of The Master of Ballantrae, Kidnapped, David Balfour, Weir of Hermiston. Reading from Kidnapped.
5. Varied Romances—Treasure Island, Prince Otto, The Black Arrow, The Wrecker, The Ebb Tide. Note the great variety of material. Reading from Treasure Island.
Books to Consult—Graham Balfour: Life of Robert Louis Stevenson. A. H. Japp: Robert Louis Stevenson. John Kelman: The Faith of Robert Louis Stevenson. Isobel Osbourne Strong: Robert Louis Stevenson.
A program on Stevenson should certainly mention his poems. Read from his A Child's Garden of Verse. Notice also his prayers, which have had large circulation and use in the religious world. There might be a paper on the varied appreciation of Stevenson by his biographers, noting especially Henley. Show pictures of Stevenson, and especially of the bas-relief of him made by Saint-Gaudens for St. Giles's Cathedral in Edinburgh.