Robert Louis Stevenson

“ Ah, what a tangled web we weave - anyway, with what brains you have left choose me and send me some - many - patterns of this exact shade.
A few days ago it was Haggard's birthday and we had him and his cousin to dinner - bless me if I ever told you of his cousin! - he is here anyway, and a fine, pleasing specimen, so that we have concluded (after our own happy experience) that the climate of Samoa must be favourable to cousins. ”

“ The room I have particularly in mind is a sort of bed and sitting-room, pretty large, lit on three sides, and the colour in favour of its proprietor at present is a topazy yellow. But then with what colour to relieve it? For a little work-room of my own at the back. I should rather like to see some patterns of unglossy - well, I'll be hanged if I can describe this red - it's not Turkish and it's not Roman and it's not Indian, but it seems to partake of the two last, and yet it can't be either of them, because it ought to be able to go with vermilion. ”

“ Perhaps in the same way it might amuse you to send us any pattern of wall paper that might strike you as cheap, pretty and suitable for a room in a hot and extremely bright climate. It should be borne in mind that our climate can be extremely dark too. ”