First published in 1879, is among the most vivid of Robert Louis Stevenson's writings. His passion for never clouded his wry wit, and his enthusiasm for the picturesque detail and the savory anecdote will delight readers today as much as they scandalized his contemporaries. Perhaps best known as the author of and other children's literature, Robert Louis Stevenson (1850­1894) was a prolific novelist, playwright, essayist, and travel writer.