'Judged by the seeds that you plant'

 

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

 

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on this date in 1850, Stevenson became one of the world’s most versatile and “translated” authors in his short life (he died of a brain hemorrhage at age 44).  The author of 13 novels, including Treasure Island, Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he created a host of great characters like the pirate Long John Silver and Jekyll and Hyde (names that have become part of the world’s vernacular).   

 

Beyond his celebrated novels, the prolific Stevenson wrote 7 collections of short stories, 14 nonfiction books, and several books of poetry for both adults and children.  His A Child’s Garden of Verses remains a regular seller on the worldwide market with lasting poems like My Shadow: “I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, and what can be the use of him is more than I can see.”   And, The Swing: “How do you like to go up in a swing, up in the air so blue?  Oh I do think it’s the pleasantest thing, ever a child can do.”

 

And an accomplished pianist, he wrote or arranged more than 120 musical pieces. 

 

Stevenson always seemed to be able to connect with readers from all walks of life and when asked why, he simply said, “The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.”