The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-05-15
rHEREAL BRATTLEBORO VIEW.
Well Expressed by One OF our 'ierg'


Well Expressed by One Of Our clergy
men.
Editor of the Reformer -
Sir The evident rightlng OF pnbli'
sentiment IN the Kipling Balestler case
! is encouraging. 1t would be a burning
shame il Nh. Kipling felt compelled tt
go, because of hostile public opinion
or vexing anxiety regarding the per.
sonal peace and well being of himself
or his family. When he first came,
some little good natured chaff at his
eccentricities or "unusualities' was
harmless enough = we like to be fac
tions. But now that it is taken
seriously, the whole thing has changed.
We are proud of Mr. Kipling's res.
idence here. We have had literary and
aesthetic lights, Hawthorne, the elder
Judge Tyler, Mrs Stove. Mead, Hunt,
Mary Wilkins identified with us, to
our keen qualification, in the past.
Mr.. Kipling not only is primus inter
pares among them all, and in his own
line the first living writer OF English
in the estimation of the cultivated
world, but ne actually lives among us
now. We are proud of him and believe
in his star, and in the superlative ex-
cellence of his next ten years work
and we want him to do it here. Now,
then, to explain his painful agitation
in the unfortunate experience OF the
last few days. What aggravations, il
any. from out the past may have affect
ed his feeling, have been carefully |
guarded by himself. But taking mat
ters as they are, we cannot but mark
that he is very sensitively organized, |
high keyed man. He could not write
what he has written otherwise. His oc-
casional b rusqueness and early predi-
lection for stories from the rougher,
wild camp or wild nature, side OF life,
have disguised, or but partially re.
realed. the fine, delicate, poetic and
mind of this young sue
lessor of Burns and Keats, of Charles
Lamb and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Moreover, his idea, even if exaggerated,
las been that the dangerous fact about
lis opponent is responsibility the
nan when himself, has not been feared,
)ut when artiiicially and intensely eX-
actor. Then. too. personal violence
elf. defense, would be, to an English
nan. even more than with US, as many
passage in English letters could con-
irm, prohibited by the fact OF relation
hip. He could not lift his hand
gainst his wifes brother. 1t also
hould be noticed that the usages of l
he game of bluff on this side the ocean
re not at all what they are on the
ther side Al Englishman might well \
rgue that a man who swears such ,
mighty oath, and does not intend TO :
boot or smash something. must he a
razy. Over there, the fight would
ave been over before half that amount !
language had been fired off. a
The fact is, Nj. Kipilng's behavior
/ this country, when understood, has u
cen beyond ali praise He would not a
e .ionized, paraded, cheapened and :,
enerally served up as dessert for din y
IS out. He has done one mans work
! teaching intrusive reporters a need
lesson. and has thereby toned up all
merican standards on that line. Il
hen other Engishmen have gone up p
I'd down the land blowing the morn Of r,
lperiority, he has quietly settled down q
ere to do his work, beautify his mod
t home and write works bearing in p
the stamp of genius. Now, a
, can reside where he pleases, Of d
urse: but if he goes out from lis be. dc
use he feels personally disturbed or 81,
cause the air strikes him as chilly 81
ID inimical, we shall become the =,
re and proper target for the deri- n II.
,e boots of the literary, sensible and
pecially the undergraduate college B.
,rld. of Westerners of discrimination u.
d of the high toned press every an
lere. We are beginning to get dose
-eady wi
The respondent in the case ought to -
Il satisfied. The evidence came fully
I and was scattered on the four -
nds of heaven. that he is under no 81
,ney debt in the quarter where he Il
II not tolerate the inference. His Ga
vyer is reported as saying that his ne
ing under bonds to keep the peace of
a mere passing Formally. Person !
y, the respondent is bright man, wi
| of dash and vim, whose driving NJ
o town quickens the pace of life, i
o has lots of friends who would ant
p him as he would help them. the
lld grieve for his losses and cheer i
D when he wins, But his blood is
good to let out in the ways of the
~. The town with one accord now
$ off the dogs of war and declares
incident close.
Citizen.