Will the real Mr. Hyde please step forward?

On this date in 1894, Robert Louis Stevenson died at his home in Samoa. It's a rare person who hasn't been touched in some way or another by the work of this man...from his contribution to and development of children's literature with such classics as Treasure Island and Kidnapped, to his eerie, immortal short story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I think it's fair to say he's made an indelible mark on the world of books.

Recently, I came across another “strange case” related to his life. It involves a letter he wrote in 1890, full of passion and his customary eloquence, defending a man who, though of a different faith, Stevenson saw as a saint. The man was Father Damien de Veuster. You may be familiar with him: he devoted his life to caring for the lepers on the island of Molokai, giving up a normal life and even his health (he eventually died of leprosy) to love and serve others. But, because the world hates saints and loves a sensation, shortly after Fr. Damien's death, a man named Mr. Hyde answered the call of a sensationalist news reporter to provide the juicy details of the priest's life. Except he made them up. He was so dizzy with the spotlight, the thrill of being in the public eye, that he came up with any number of elaborate, false stories about Father Damien.

Now on the outskirts of this tale was Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson, who had himself visited Molokai, stayed with and befriended Mr. Hyde, and—though not a Catholic himself—had been deeply touched by the work done by Father Damien and the selfless religious sisters on the island.

He must have seen it as fitting, when he read Mr. Hyde's letter, that he had already decided “Hyde” just had the perfect ring to it for a terrifying, disgusting monster, transformed from what a human being should be into the worst, basest shadow of a man. Certainly the real-life Hyde did nothing to change his mind.

Stevenson wrote a letter to the editor of the Sydney Presbyterian, which had printed Hyde's scandalous tale. The Sydney paper refused to print it, but soon newspapers throughout the world ran with it. Stevenson defended Father Damien, his faith, his goodness, and his work. He exposed Hyde for the jealous monster that he was, someone so annoyed by his failure and Damien's success that it brought out the worst in his own nature. He predicted that Father Damien would someday be considered for Sainthood in the Catholic Church, and he saw it as important—again, though he didn't even share the same faith!--that truth be fearlessly sought and acknowledged.

You can read his letter here—it's rather long, quite scathing, but it will remind you of the power a writer holds in his hands. Hyde chose to use that power for evil, Stevenson for good. On this anniversary of his death, I hope you will join me in saying a prayer for him, in thanking God for his passion and honesty, and in begging for a small measure of the courage he had in abundance.