Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-30

sess Q very original genius; nor is this an orig
inal opinion. His plain tales have been called
1.-THE best book ever witten on India" by an
authority OF very great experience in life. IN
government. and in literature. For the first
time he has shown English readers what Indis
Is like; how full of infinitely various life and
romance. He seems to have seen. and known
and been able to make real and vivid the ex-
istence Of all classes in that continent For
my own part least like his tales about official
life. about frtations and Jobs. appointments"
OF al kinds at Simla. The descriptions may be
very true; they are not very pleasing. His
married hirts, his frivolous ladies. his people
who play tennis with the seventh command
ment' are melancholy, and, no doubt, al
montous spectacles. Vice in them has
certainly not freed itself from what is
course and common. Vice seldom does
and IL Is not Mr. Kipling's fault. but
the fault OF his characters. thaG one turns from
their feverish society. their ''smartness" and
their slang. There are touching passages in
The Story Of the Gadsbys" but il has the de-
feet OF reminding one of "Gyp," an author
whom Mr.. kipling may never have read. for
all that know. To nv own tsste-after ali IL
Is question of taste-hls tales OF native life in
many ranks, castles, religions and nations are
his best There is wonderful horror mixed
with vulgar magic in the story called The
House of Suddhoo." The confession Of an
opium smoker in The Gate of a Hundred Sor-
ION the City WALL is a romance that is real
and an amazing glimpse into the true mind OF
orientals hidden from us often By Q veneer Of
western culture.
The Strange Ride Of Morrowbie Jukes, who
fell into a village OF them who should be dead
but yet alive. Is a nightmare more perfect and
terrible, think, than anything Of Edgar Poe's
There is scene of passion at a midnight pic
mic and in nocturnal dust storm which is
purely magical, revelation of things possible.
The story Of little Indian child 10 a mere
sketch, but il brings tears even into critical
eyes. There Is an astonishing variety in Mr..
klpling's powers. In the Phantom Rikshaw
his tale OF the dead wife's appointment with
her husband moves one like a vivid dream
of the beloved dead. Then we have a
handsome piece Of witchery in the Bisara
OF Pooree, where the impossible becomes
real to fancy. From there tales it
is long stepto the military humors of Soldiers
Three-the magnificent, daring. vain and
generous Irish Heracles, Mulvaney; the little
cockney who shoots so well and has a madness
OF homesickness, Ortheris, and the large York
shire man who is their comrade. How they
took the town OF Lungtungpens and with the
rear guard are tales Of as good fighting as ever
were transcribed. Every soldier should in
splre himself with tne gay daring and master
full adventure. The legend of the wanderer
with the head of his crowned and dead com
rade In his wallet proves that Mr. kipling
would excel in the widest myths of adventure,
If he cared He has comedy, tragedy. farce in
his repertory, all in small parcels. He
has seen a perfect Odyssey of strange
experience, has known or has OWNED
the most unheard of dealings of men with
men, and everywhere has found them very
human. The last story IN Plain Tales promises
not conclusion but beginning TO the legend
OF an English scholar sunk in drink. in Islam.
and the DIRT of bazaar. All this wouid be en-
tirely new, and We may trust that Mr. kiplIng
will give us longer narrative on the subject.
Whether he can write a long novel, or a novel
rather OF the usual proportions remains to be
seen. Very few men have excelled in both
forms of the art fictitious, and he certainly
excels in one. At a passage, a picture, an Incl.
dent, character, he Is already, perhaps. all
but unrivalled among his contemporaries. Can
he weave masses of this into consistent tablet
This remains to be tried.
do not anticipate for Mr.. Kipling a very
popular popularity. He does not compete with
Miss Braddon or Mr.. L. L. Roe. His favorite
subjects are too remote and unfamiliar for a
world that likes to be amused with matters near
home, and passions that do not stray far from
the drawing room or the parlor. In style. al
has been said, he has brevity, brilliance. selec-
ton; he is always at the center of the interest,
he wastes no words; he knows no padding. He
can understand passion. and make US under
stand 1t. He has sympathles unusually wide,
and can ind the rare strange thing in the midst
OF the commonplace. He has energy, spirit.
VISION. hennement ne has not IN equal
measure; perhaps he is too abrupt, too easily
taken by piece Of slang. and one or two little
mannerisms become provoking. 1t does not
seem as yet that he very well understands or
can write very well about ordinary English
life. But he has so much to say that he might
well afford to leave the ordinary to other
writer's. He has the alacrity of the French
intellect and often displays its literary moder-
alton and reserve. One may overestimate what
Is so new, what is SO undeniably rich in many
promises. This is a natural tendency in the
critic To myself Mr.. hipling seems one of
two, three or four young men, and he is far
the youngest, who flash out genius from some
unexpected place; who are not academic nor
children of the old literature of the world. but
of their own works. What seems cynical, fighty.
too brusque and too familiar in him should mel
low with years. / do not believe that Europe
is the place for him. There are three other
continents where L can imagine that his genius
would find a more exhilarating air and more
congenial material He is an exotic romancer
His muse needs the sun. the tramp of horses
the clash of swords, the juggling of bride
reins. vast levels of sand. thick forests wide
cleaning rivers the temples of strange gods
This at least is a personal theory, which may
readily be contradicted by experience. But
trust that it may not be contradicted, and thai
Mr.. Kiplings youth and adventurous spirit NAV
bring on tales and sketches aud ballads from
many shores not familiar, from many a home
of Pathans, kaffrs. Pawnees, from ali natura
men. He is not in tune with our modern civil.
cation, whereof many heart is sick; he ID
more at home in an Afghan pass than in the
Strand.