New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-07
RUDYARD KIPLING.
TIE MAN WHO KNOWS INDIA.

Hinnr. iamo. Cloth Macmillan g. Co.
TIE CorRTISG OF DINAH sIiADD, AND i, "rii LEX
STORIES BY Rudyard Kiplng. WIN d nio
graphical and Critical Sketch by Andrew Lang
l2mo. PIP. Isl. Harper q BROTHERS.
The record of Anglo-Indian literature Is long,
and in the araver departments, weghty Anglo
Indian romance has however, little TO sho" ior
itself. The lighter class of writings mas "'c',
mainly narrative, and many fresh ana dcheh'iu,
volumes Of observation and adventure have Issue"
from the Indian presses. Adventure ana sport
such books as those of Meadows Taylor anu '"c
odd Thikarry"-wPre for long Ilhe 'a.'iN'
with such Anrlo-lndians as were sufficiently de-
tached from the engrossing cares OF a"ihini''i".
ton to take any interest in light literature. of
original observation OH the life OF moderh Ih"A
there was virtually nothing until some twenty
wears ago and the reasons for this silence were
nlain, The official class were too busy to write :
tbe military class either too busy or 100 ldle
Yet how rich field lay fallow all those years
was shown when, here and there, few Keen
eyed men began to take notes. Such books as
The Tribes on My Frontier and PHI koohi-
sons Under the SUM-" made it evident 'ha'
recognized Anglo Indian humor. Indigenous l''ih'
and pia,lant, was being developed ana re""'rS
with disciplined literary palatcs thankfully re-
ceiycd these fragmcntary works and forthwi'h
lonCcd for more Books like Frcre's oid D'r'"''
DAYS" charming rs that is, were after an Only
rcndcrines Of native folk-taleS ana hgehoS 'h'"
conventional literary English. The new departure
seemed 10 promise something more Interesting anu
characteristic.
When Rudyard Kpng's short stores con-
veved from Indian newspapers and magazines, were
INF rodurcd to a larger and distant pnhilc. IL oe-
came instantly apparent that new ana ai'o-
rether original writer had appeared For the hrs'
time appeared man, born and largely reared III
India. who combined the Western sympaihies
with the Eastern: who knew how thc hi'sses "'
India thought and felt and spoke and acted who
had made careful studies of the Official HE an"
the military life: who was equally at home III
Simla and on the plains, at the reglmeh'al mess
and in the harracl of the rank and file who had
comnrehended no, only Anglo Indian society. but
10 a considerable extent Indian society. and WI"
WAS we'll equipped for the task he had nh'"r-
taken with style which matched his SUBJECTS
in originality and piquancy. once more 'he max
niticent opuencr of the new field OF romance l"
can to he demonst rated, though II WAS eGn8'N
plain that, like the treasures Of the Afa'la"
NIGHTS stories these riches were only al 'if us
posa of the forunat" p?sscsSor OF the mage TING %
lamp In the genius Of the young man "ho'' P''"
igal and ingenious fancicS have already 'A'cNN p'~
n,cd so many previously uncNpored regions. 'hr
clements seemed to We so kindly mlNFd 'ii"' IT,
nance poetry and hunor were prop"I'i'n'h III
nearly equal parts. y" ore had with greater lore"
and pjcturc>oucncsS skcichcd tie shad""e" SLUG
of AnrloAmcrican life: no one before MN IA" ~
much a, attempted 10 deal with the di'hrh'' "'-
srnre and certainly unju>t!N neglected He "' poor
Tommy A,kins"-the private soldier upon whose
valor and Loyalty the Empire Of India piimafii!
rests.
E,,,lip piit =
his three ruar,lsmrn. MGlvnncy orth"rIS 'h'
Icarovd the effect WAS somewhat siar'iI'c upon
sensitive nerves, for the nrw tal"-wrl'"r dr."
III. Subjects in uncompromsin. black and white"
His aim was 10 represent " Tommy Atkins IN MS
habit rs he lived: and the soldier so presented
nroyed so VERY rough, crude. blunt. an" III many
WAYS unsavory a person, that there were som"
little EXPLANATIONS of protest II was 'H ''"'
sundry susceptible tastes resented 'h' f''Nh-
of such mnnlanncriy and malod"r"ns "h"Nca We"
tween the wind and their nobility. f"r al '"'>
we shall make bold n express III" drrtI'd "p'ili"h
tia, Rudyard Kiplings soldier stories "r" h''
only mastery Creations rceaTird a's'i"'H' '"'
,bo, ,hcv afford the most kithiul and c"n'plr'"
studies Of the British soldier III INDIA mat nave
oyer been made The ar, Of the writer is strongly
exhibited in his choice Of IN" tire" pfih'lP"
clements of the Indian Army for representation ;
royd and the Cockncv Orthcris'. Thcsr 'hr"" 'Ir
,reuts fairly stand for the bulk of the ENGLISH
army MIR Kipling might indeed have found
come more pronounccd-and less Tsp"ct'h"--'Np"
NJ the mc,ropolitan contingent. hut his %r'-
lions wc,c jndcious and sufficient. As 7" his
knowledge Of the real Tommy Atkins a.
modified by the climate, peculiar hi"hs ann
purely military experience of India, II Is really
wonderful.
H. i, ia bc noted al the outset that there is in
the dclincation of these so!irrcharar"rs Ger
tain hardness and iirrccncsS. "A r"r'llh a''h'a'
conventional Indifference I" the taking 81 human
life tie like of which is rarely to ne l"nn" III
felton, Thee traits, however. are among '"'
,1rougcs. evidences Of IN" auti"f skill '"'
lrov,cdoe For the sol licr in India dcycl s just
| these traits under the irri'at"ns "i !" h"s'l" gu
v;roumcnt. He carns very quickly that the ecnti
men, Of the naive population conreIn,"" nm l.
| compoundrd Of fear and hatrrd. Whenever he l.
on active service he encounters enemies III VINO"
military and moral code, the blarkrst trcac'Icr'
* ludablp and the most pilcsS cruelty matter
| of cnurAc 1o the hour %! victory. Our own bp\'
| IA h,ue campaignng against the Ap""s. iri'
| much the same AS do the Ang"-ndan h"hiicr'
| toward the savage frontier tribes against whom
| they arc led. "ronmy Atkins at home an'
| Tommy Atkins" in India are tw" very different
mcu MOI onl; the nature OF the s"rFicr IL th'
| Orient, but tine entire chHrgr OF h'hl'S Wili'I
| is ncces,i,atch 10y the climate: ilm far g"'"'
| amour, Of leisure: the relief from mental dn''r
| by the employment of native servants the grca''
insecurity of life when in garrson dnr I" 'h'
| prevalence Of epidemic Diseases the pT'c'i''
| confinement Of the soldier - tine circle OF his owl
| comrades: all ticH' things tend I" modify II"
character of the men, and 10 make them Just villa
Mr.. Kipling represents them in his r"nIarkahb
stories The kind of soldier here described Is only
seen in Europe after long wars. and perhaps !
| would be necessary TO 30 back 10 the Contincn'i
fighting. man of the seventeenth and eighteenth
| centuries to find close parallel. In rockies
| daring love OF plumber, iondness for mischief o
all kinds. and loyal comradeship. the three
| muskptcers OF India may almost be compared wit
| Dumas's famOIs quartett": but they are essen
italy modern in many OF their charac'rrisics' am
,c,,tn .v'. fInp. ,,tf