The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-04
MARX TWAIN AND RIPPING.
everyone Should Read the Great story
telier's Writings.
Eaxr yo~E wo~fA


Everyone should Read the Great story
telier's Writings.
New York World.
Most people know BY this time what
Budyard kipling thinks of Max Twain.
Inc young story-writer of old England has
paid his respects in earnest person as we'll
as in luminous prose; to the veteran
humorist of New England. 1t is natural
Lor them to wonder what Mark Twain
thinks of Budyard Kipling. And this, as
wen as something new about the way he
thinks his thoughts, Mr. Clemens has told
the writer. talking at his best in that easy
way IN which ideas roll from Drain full.
MI. Clemens was aked what he thoueht
OF kudyard Kipling's story, of his guest
Why" said he, with the artiess frank
ness OF man too busy to read the Sunday
newspapers. Il haven't seen il! haven't
read aiine of it. Tell me what it is Is it
blame or otherwise2
Then the writer outlined Ripling's vivid
story OF his drives about Elmira, his search
up hiil and down dale, and his final dis
covery OF Twain at his mother-in-iaw's
Mr.. Clemens laughed silently, with his eye
orows. and took up the thread of the mar
raIive.
Yes, was at my wife,s mothers's when
ne found me, and that accounts for a
singular. almost unaccountable lack OF
hospitality on my part 1t was Just about
Whlie he and l we're sitting talking and
smoking the rest of the family were eating.
Now, l have habit of never
eating in the middle of the
day. As didn't get hungry the idea of
luncheon didn't occur to me for we were
pleasantly engaged, and as / was not in
the habit OF going TO luncn none of the
IN rr,0 70 -
never once thought of Mr. Kipling's
views on the luncheon question; it
didn't occur to me that he could
have an appetite after his drive!
We'll, when be had gone and I was
talking to my wife about his visit she at
once required to his luncheon business
and said: why, do you mean to tell me
that after this young man he'd come ali
this way to see you and had made such a
search TO find you, you didn't offer him any
refreshments And therebpon she be-
rated me for not being natural, like other
men, in my habits of eatingr Here Mr..
Clemens eyebrows laughed briskiy.
II thought" he continued, THAT was
the difference between q natural sense OF
hospitality and the absence of it.
The next morning | went down to the
hotel to call on Mr.. Kipling without taking
the precaution 10 telephone and see if be
were still there. He was gone, and I. of
course, haven't seen MIN since. Shall
see him in London soon? No, / don't ex-
pect TO go to London in the near future;
but when do go shall call upon him. l
shan't wait to have him hunt me up. as you
suggest the likelihood of his doing. / shall
assuredly hunt him up!''
So much for the episode which Kipiing
himself has so wildly described. though
from standpoint entirely different to that
OF Mr.. Clemens, whose frame of mind on
the luncheon subject evidently insures Mr..
kipling at their next meeting an abund-
ance OF creature comforts.
1t is not necessary to ask Mr.. Clemens
what he thinks of Kipling's tales.
1T would be good thing" said he, ito
read Mr.. Kipling's writings fo- their style
alone, If there we're no story back of it.
But, as you say, there always is q story
there and a powerfully interesting one
generally. How people have gotten to
read and talk about his storiesl Why,
when young man. not vet "a years of age,
succeeds in the way Kipling has succeeded,
it simply shows, doesn't it, that the gen.
eral public has strong appreciation of q
good thing when it gets hold of one?
His great charm to me is the way he
swings nervous Englishl Ii is wonderful.
That it seems to me, is one great secret of
the hold he takes on his readers They
can understand what he is at. He is
simple and direct.o