The morning times., 1897-02-21

simplicity of uiction are in the verse that
describes the launching:
Life had the tree at tnat word tpraise we
the GiverlD
Otte!-,iEe left he the bank for the full
river;
Far fell their axes behind, flashing and
ringing,
Wonder was ON me and fear. yet she was
singing"
Two or three other new metres re to
be found in this book. Kipling's method
OF composition has been literally writing
to music. The melody was heard or sug-
gested itself to his mind and the metre
followed, the words shaping themselves to
it. Thus many of the "Barrack Room
Ballads were written to the music of
some march heard on the parade ground,
other poems to music which the author
himself composed. E. Ray Robinson, who
worked with him in India, is authorit Y
for the statement that the music TO which
''Mandalay'' and one OF two others We're
written was more original aud melo-
dious than that I o which the songs
were afteTward set.
Kiphng's American notes, written in "a
seIni-private way to an Indian paper, for
the reading of his friends in India, and
notintended for publication in this country,
made tempest in teapot when they ap-
peared he told the truth about our
faults too hluntly America doesn't like
- be told that she is not the most highly
country on earth. aad it is all the worse
when an EnElishm8n SAYS il. But five
Years after his remarks on the unprotected
condition of our coast We're published, ,
almost the same conclusions Were labor
ously arrived at by the American pIess.
SO far, at least. his observation was true
and wise
After living six months or SO in this
country he wrote The Walking Telegate.
which is one Of the best of his animal
sketches 1t tells Of company of horses,
quietly grazing on Vermont farm. and
to them comes yellow horse from Kansas,
with new ideas. He tells them about the
inalieuable rights OF their uufettcred horse
free and equal. and wishes them to back
him up in personal assault on man. the
oppressor, who comes out TO spend his
leisure, gloating over them AT this point,
however, the senior roadster. a Handle
tonian beast of goodpoints and grim aspect,
delivers himself of this speech:
There's just two kinds of horse in the
United States, them as will do their work
after being properly broke and handled
and them as won't. We know all about
horses here, sonny, and he amt any high
toned. pure -Souled child of nature. Horse.
plain horse. same ez you, is so Chock full
OF tricks and mcannesses ana CusSednesSes
that he's took over from his sire and dam
and thickened up with his own special
faculty in the way o. gcin' crooked
That's horse, and that's about his dig
nifty and the size OF his soul afore he's
broke and rawhided piece"
The story concludes demurely:
Next morning We sent back to the
stables what was left Of the yellow horse
1t seemed tired. but anxious to go"
Who reads an American book?'' asked
witty sydney Smith. But that was nearly
u century ago Now book that is educa-
tional, instructive, or merely amusing
obtains at least two-thirds Of its readers
in America Times have changed. The
most important resultant OF this signifi-
ca 1T change has been the American re-
fusalto accept the Encyclopaedia Britannica
in its insular British form. 1t was i'm
practical TO look for accuracy on American
subjects in work which devoted TO the
battle Of Bunker Hill ten lines, describing
il as British victory and omitted en-
tirely eminent personaGes, whose pro-
ScribinG fault was that they We're still
living.
But though American taste was dis
eliminating, it was not pre- judiced as il
recognized the greatness ofthis w ork, which
in It'll appeared in three small volumes
nd grew during nine editions, which had
been published up to 1890, to twenty
five large quarto volumes. American
discernmen linked to American taste
rectified this and has produced the
prodigious monument of scholarship. the
American edition OF the Encyclopaedia
Britannica. Having completed this pro-
cess OF naturalization the editors are
now adding an American supplement- in
five volumes, Of which the first is already