"...born, out of all reason, upon Christmas Day..."

[anteros_lmc]

This is for katriona_s, and anyone else who happens to need cheering up. I defy anyone to read this and not smile.

On the 19th of June 1871 twelve year old Annie H. Ide, daughter of the US Commissioner of Samoa, received an unusual gift. Annie had always felt rather hard done by as her birthday happened to fall on the 25th of December. I wonder how she felt when she received the following "official" document from a friend of her father, one Robert Louis Stevenson?

19 June 1891

Dear Mr Ide,

Herewith please find the DOCUMENT which I trust will prove sufficient in law. It seems to me very attractive in its eclecticism; Scots, English and Roman law phrases are all indifferently introduced and a quotation from the works of Haynes Bayly can hardly fail to attract the indulgence of the Bench.

Yours very truly,

Robert Louis Stevenson

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I, Robert Louis Stevenson, Advocate of the Scots Bar, author of The Master of Ballantrae and Moral Emblems, stuck civil engineer, sole owner and patentee of the Palace and Plantation known as Vailima in the island of Upolu, Samoa, a British Subject, being in sound mind and pretty well I thank you in body:

In consideration that Miss A. H. Ide, daughter of H. C. Ide, in the town of St Johnsbury, in the County of Caledonia, in the State of Vermont, United States of America, was born, out of all reason, upon Christmas Day, and is therefore, out of all justice, denied the consolation and profit of a Proper Birthday;

And considering that I, the said Robert Louis Stevenson, have attained an age when O, we never mention it, and that I have now no further use for a birthday of any description;

And in consideration that I have met H. C. Ide, the father of the said A. H. Ide, have transferred, and do hereby transfer to the said A. H. Ide, All and Whole of my rights and privileges in the 13th day of November, formerly my birthday, now, hereby, and henceforth, the birthday of the said A. H. Ide, to have, hold, exercise and enjoy the same in the customary manner, by the sporting of fine raiment, eating of rich meats and receipt of gifts, compliments and copies of verse, according to the manner of our ancestors;

And I direct the said A. H. Ide to add to her said name of A. H. Ide the name Louisa - at least in private; and I charge her to use my said birthday with moderation and humanity, et tamquam bona filia familiae, the said birthday not being so young as it once was and having carried me in a very satisfactory manner since I can remember;

And in case the said A. H. Ide shall neglect or contravene either of the above conditions, I hereby revoke the donation and transfer my rights in the said birthday to the President of the United States of America for the time being.

In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal this 19th day of June in the year of grace eighteen hundred and ninety-one.

Robert Louis Stevenson
I.P.D.

Witness: Lloyd Osbourne
Witness: Harold Watts

Comments

[azdak.livejournal.com]

Bless me, was there ever a man could use language like RLS?

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Never a man! I've read this letter dozens of times and it never fails to make me smile :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

Aww, that's so sweet! I know a couple of people who were born on Christmas Eve (which is the big day over here) and I've always pitied them. January is bad enough! You're lucky to be a summer child!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I think everyone who is born unreasonably close to Christmas or New Year should have the option of changing their birthday to the 13th of November and their name to Louis / Louisa :)

There's a lot to be said for summer birthdays, although I was always a bit scunnered by mine as a kid as it fell in the middle of the summer holidays so all my friends were always away!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_likimeya/]

My birthday was always in the holidays, too, so I never got to bake a cake for the class or hand out sweets like all my classmates did. :/
(Think of all the karma points I missed!!! ;))

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Hmm... true. Having a birthday in the middle of the Christmas holidays is a bit of a double whammy! I suggest you transfer your birthday to the 13th of November immediately to make up for lost time!

PS Thank you for my lovely card and tree decoration. It's gorgeous and is now proudly adorning our tree :)

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

What a kind and thoughtful thing to do. He really had the ability to climb into the mind of other people, especially children. That letter is adorable. I love the way he states his creds at the top.

My grandmother was born on Christmas day. Not fun.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

It's just the most fabulous letter isn't it? And a fabulous idea! It seems that Mr Stevenson was not only immensely talented and creative, but also very kind.

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

Hee! Must share this with Lord B. who was born on December 26.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you could give him Robert Louis Stevenson's birthday as a present this year? Then you could celebrate on 13th of November! Of course he'd have to change his name to Lord Louis Branwyn. It has a nice ring to it.... ;)

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

Aw. Fabulous. My dad was a Christmas day baby.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

I think all Christmas babies should be allowed to choose an alternative birthday!

[katriona-s.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for this good reminder. RLS seemed to have had really warm, magnetic personality which attracts most of the people around him.
In Monterey, California every year they hold "The Unbirthday Party" of Stevenson on 13 Nov in "Stevenson House", one of their historical adobe buildings, now which is the Stevenson Museum. It's fun to celebrate someone's "un"birthday, isn't it? :)

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

An Unbirthday Party! I love it!

I knew you would have seen this many times before but it never fails to bring a smile to my face no matter how many times I read it, so I hope it brightened up your day too :)