The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-05-23

in month. obtained her NATURALIZATION
papers in the New York court of com.
mon pleas. Part of her life romance
crops out in her application for these
papers. She therein declares that she
was born in December 81, 1868, in Po-
land, and that her father, distinguished
under the name of Smith, emigrated to
Cincinnati and lived there several wears.
writing and translating for the news
papers. What If all the Smiths should
prove to be nihilists! Wouldn't the car
have the ague then? But to return.
The villains still pursued her. She has
never been free from spies and never
will be, until she sets her woman's wits
to work on some new lines. But it is
the remorseful, revengeful work of
Just such gifted creatures as she that
wins the great tragic victories Of nihil-
ism. Is it any wonder that
the chiefs of the third section
die Of slow poison mingled, no one
knows how, in their food? But what
do Americans think of the picture Of
the spy system at work right under the
shadows of Old Glory. Mrs. Kraemer
has been married three times, Kline and
Kruessner being as nearly as I can re-
member the names of Mr.. Kraemer,s
predecessors He is a trustworthy en-
ploye Of William Steinway. His wife
Is a ready-made heroine for any Ameri-
can novelist who wants to seize great
opportunity. An episode not quite as
interesting as this formed the basis Of
Col. r. A. Savage's fascinating little
story, my Official Wife, which Archi-
bald G. Gunter published some time
ago. There the great difficulty for the
beautiful free thinker was to cross the
frontier. And she succeeded in very
ingenious way. Mrs. Kraemer will new
er despair, for she is hereditary foe
of the Moscovite.
THE REWARD OF KINDNESS.
Mr.. Rudyard Kipling, the Anglo-In-
dian literary cad, has, observe, been
favoring the London Times with a So
ries Of what he calls impressions" Of
this country. knew he would. I also
knew about what his impressions would
be, judging by the series of vulgar, I'M
fair and somewhat idiotic articles which
he wrote about this country after visit
made some years ago. He was younger
then, had travelled less and knew less,
and there was some excuse for him.
But the things which he has been say
ing in the London Times show that he
is an innate cad. To him word-twisting
and smart utterances are more than in
telligent facts or even decent fancy.
When some gentlemen in this city were
making lion out of this ephemeral lit
erary cub some months ago remarked
to one Of them that I sup
posed Mr.. Kipling would repay
all that kindness by going home and
abusing us. If that were prophecy
he certainly has fulfilled it. The truth
is, that the average Englishman in his
heart has no affection for this republic
When he comes here he is naturally
amazed by what he sees in the way Of
progress, civilization, energy and en-
| hghtenment, and he shudders to think
Of the magnificent future which we
have, compared with his own over-pop-
ulated, antiquated, worked-out empire
of injustice and hopelessness at home.
Now and then great, big. enlightened,
broad-souled man like Edwin Arnold
comes out of England with the ability
tossee and appreciate and the justice to
say what is good of us. This man, sit
ting on peak Of the Hima1ayas, swell
tering in bungalow in India, riding in
a jinriclzsha in Japan OF alternating in
a New York boarding house, can see
grandeur all around him, poetry
in the swaying trees or the
rising sun or the moonlight on
the water, and can touch with
a brothers. hand humanity wherever be
finds it. But he is one Englishman in
ten million. The average Englislman
loves to have this country and its insti-
buttons thoroughly abused, and the
London Times loves to PRINT it. The
maievolent spirit behind the Times in
these affairs is that which engaged the
scoundrel and forger Pigott to lie about
thelriEh cause and itsleaders When in
telligent Americans visit the oldcountry
and by that Imean those who can read
and write-they go there filled with rev.
erence for antiquity, art and history. To
them every ancient custom, every crude
and bunging method, every stupid ut
terance conveys lesson. There is a
story even in the rags Of the beggars as
there is in the ruins that confront one
everywhere. Coming from a world of
sunshine and hope to one Of antiquity
and gloom they study and learn. The
flippant, insular prejudiced off
shoot of decaying England, leaving
behind him his hideous, moldy and re-
pulsive London, comes to New York
and finds here metropolisof such mag
nihceuce and grandeur that oil the envy
and hatred in bis nature are aroused.
He has for us the same sort of senti-
mert that the ignorant plowmsn in the
cabin has for the favored lord In the
palace on the hill. His sole purpose
here is TO be as miserable as possible
and to find such fault as he is able to
find. These literary ragpickers OF the
Kipling variety are like the vulgar man
who would eat ones dinner and. abuse
the cook, or would find much to admire
in your canvasback duck and your Bur-
gundy and then sneak around and in