“Happiness and goodness, according to canting moralists, stand in the relation of effect and cause. There was never anything less proved or less probable: our happiness is never in our own hands; we inherit our constitution; we stand buffet among friends and enemies; we may be so built as to feel a sneer or an aspersion with unusual keenness and so circumstanced as to be unusually exposed to them; we may have nerves very sensitive to pain, and be afflicted with a disease very painful. Virtue will not help us, and it is not meant to help us.”

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About Robert Louis Stevenson

Scottish novelist of the late 19th century, Stevenson is best known for his adventure novels and ghost stories. His works like *Treasure Island* and *Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* blend vivid storytelling with psychological depth.

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