Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-26
THE BOOKISH FOLK.
A PATCHWORK COMMENTARY, on
AUTHORS AND THEIR WORKS.
The MIGHTY KIPLIHG ! CRAZE.
His Sickness VIII Not Cost Him Any
thing When He Collects His Royal
ties-Booi<s on the War-'.Waters
That Pass Away

Trained nurses and doctors bills ard
druggists charges are enough to brighten
the bravest of Gods creatures, but I'll
venture TO say that for every dollar poor
Rudyard Kipling has spent in these luxu-
ries he has gotten fifty in return. That
spell Of pneumonia which Frustrated him
In New York has given him an amount of
free advertising which has spread his
name throughout the land. His books are
now selling like hot cakes. and the de-
mand for them can scarcely be supplied.
Here in Richmond everybody is talking
Kpling and quoting Kipling. and raving
over his eccentric verses. 1t is very bad
form to say you see no merit in his
writings.
Throughout the length and breadth OF
the land amateur poets have dedicated
verses to the famous English author. ard
congratulated him on his recovery. If
Kipling has read all OF these and sur
vived. there's no disputing the fact that
he has the constitution of an OK, for
pOesy is the s9fety-valve through which
the great majority Of our cranks let of
their steam. Every backwoods paper has
furnished a bard. who took 4 whack at
tho sufferer. and endeavored TO eulogize
him in doggerel. But out OF this mass OF
frepzied efforts some very bright little
skits have appeared, and in a few in
stances they show great skill. Witness
the following snatches from the poetic
fluctuations which have been hurled at
the sick Brlton:
We're glad 10 hear you're better, Mr..
Kiplin.
For men like you don't turn up every
day;
We hope you'll learn to know and love
us better.
We're glad you made your mind up for
TO stay.
The man from Chicago twltters in
verses like this:
You ave made a stubborn fight.
Ruddy Kip;
And you're comm through all right,
Rudy Kip;
weren't potion. pump. nor pill,
1t were all your iron will.
Wot as left you 10 US still,
Rudy Kip;
The New York Times has furnished the
following, which, to say the least, is luke
warm:
Kipling. we hail you back again
Back TO the world of valiant men
Back from the far. drear borderland,
Death-touched, obscure, and fever
fann'd-
Back to the pulse the thrill. the start,
The mighty engine Of your art.
If Mr.. Kipling has suffered from poetic
congratulations. what must be said of the
parodies on his poems, which would prof.
ably cover one side OF his room? His
imperialistic effort entitled 1.-THE White
Mans Burden" has become 4 burden in
fact rs well as in name. AT least four
different PAROLES thereon have met my
gaze. ana l shudder TO think how many
more are floating around in the news
papers Of this great country.
The Kipling craze, however. IS not the
worst of literary evils with which We
have TO contend at present. There IS the
war literature. I'm which the ego appears
a million tmes-the personal experiences
Of great men who devote page after page
to explaining why they did certain things
and why they didn't DO others. II we
don't hear all about this Spanish-Amori-
can fracas before next July it IS because
we are blind and deaf and cannot read.
Everybody and everything-eXccpt the
embalmed beef-has given his or its oX-
perencos. IIobson Is out in a big book
which tells about 1.-THE Sinking OF the
Merrimac." and Sigsbee has long since
told his story about the Maine. Lieutcn-
ant Miley furnishes us a volume entitled
IN Cuba with Shaftcr." while the great
and only Richard Harding Davis has de-
tailed the incidents OF THE Cuban and
Portan Campaigns" Edward Marshall