The record-union., 1899-06-24
An EVENING WITH KIPLlNG.
ANALYzATION OF THE GREAT
AUTHORS WORKS.
Address by Professor J. n. Pond
at the English Lutheran
Church.

There is but one Kipling, and the en-
tertainInent given at the Enghsn
Luthern Church, Sixteenth street, be-
tween ] and K, last evening, was en-
tirely devoted to the man and his Writ
ings. There was not a dull selection
on the program, already published IN
the Record Union" and the musical
selections were of high order. The
feature of the evening was Professor
j. H. Ponds address on "Rudyard Kip
ling" Professor Pond was given the
closest attention by the large audience.
He spoke in full as follows:
RUDYARD KIPLING.
Mr.. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen:
Before beginning my paper on Rudy
ard Kipling, l ask your forbearance
for a few minutes while I thank you
for the very pleasant task which was
assigned to me two weeks or more ago
When I responded to a knock at my
classroom door and listened to our
Chairmans request that I speak LOT
twenty minutes or SO to you tO-nisnt
about Rudyard Kipling, felt an IN
ward shrinking from the asserting TO
his words. But 1 have received So
many kindnesses from him and from
many others here that the sense or my
selfishness should refuse to assent to
a request which was in my power TO
grant-and my good mentor, too-bade
me to accept the labor.
And so tonight / will endeavor TO
tell you what Kipling is to me-not
what he was some days ago, but what
he is now, for I have tried to become
acquainted with him as he actually Is
to know him as fully as my nature IS
capable Of knowing him in the snort
time during which he has been before
u.s. I remember we'll the time when
first We met. I was alone. He came
to me, God of our father, known or
old" He placed his hand upon my
soul A prayerful chord responded to
the emotion of the world. And in per-
feet harmony throughout the whole
poem came his manly voice:
God of our fathers, known of old
Lord of our far-f1ung battle line.
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet
Lest We forget, lest We forget.
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart.
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart
Lord God of Hosts, be with US yet,
Lest We forget, lest we forget.
On dune and headland sinks the fire
Lo all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre.
Judge of the nation, spare US yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have net Thee in awe,
Such boasting as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the law
Lord God of Hosts. be with US yet,
Lest We forget, lest We forget.
Fer heather heart that puts her, trust
In reeking tube and iron shard-
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard
For frantic boast and foolish word.
Thy mercy en- Thy people, Lord. Amen.
And with this profound amen, my
spirit bowed before the God of my
fathers and 1 worshiped him.
When place or man or woman
turns our thoughts from material
things to everlasting themes and stlrs
within US that latent power of laying
hold on the greatest good in the world
of coming with uncovered head into the
presence of the most high-our God;
there is in the afterwards reverence
for the place, a sacredness in the man.
a tenderness for the woman that moves
as a tide in its ebb and flood whenever
the cause of the. emotion finds oc-
casion for action; so Rudyard Kipling
is to me now, has been for some time
past an inspiration. the intensity or
which l should have failed to appre-
ciate had not the request for my pres
ence hare tonight have been made to
me. Fer this thank you
Put God did not intend that we
should build for ourselves any craven
image nor worship anything in heaven
or earth save him alone. Nor would
I have you gain the impression that l
am worshiper Of Kipling. On the
contrary I like the man. ike him
fer his frankness his assartiyeneSs his
truthfulness. There are many Hnes
which he has written that do not
like: there are ideas which he has ex-
Or, ed that dislike; there are failures
even to reach nobility of thought and
purpose in some of his productions.
But as for my liking, methinks that IS
somewhat increased because of his
faults. The humanity of the man
draws me- The better / know him,
In order that we may know him, as
a man. even slightly, it is well If we
may be abe to recognize him when we
see him He is young man. two
years younger than | am, a little man.
a ark-complexioned man, with black
ewes. always guarded by spectacles
He looks English. His head is round,
his hair grows squarely across his fore
head and is wirey, hard to handle,
jnartistic: he wears mustache which
falls stiffly over his mouth. He is not
a handsome man, he is not even an
impressive looking man. His appear
ance does not betoken his ability. He
does not seem to be such an one as
would naturally be lionized by aesthetic
clubs. In fact, he looks as though he
would repei patronage. And, yet, his
face does not belle the man.
From a careful examination of a
number of his likenesses we gain the
impression that this man is an ener-
getic, self-contained opinionated Eng
lishman, fairly we'll satisfied with HIM
self. born of the middle class. nurtured
largely by an appreciation of his own
force. pushing his work and himself
where his own will directs, sometimes
awkwardly, sometimes Extensively,
simetimes skillfully, but always effec-
lively, thus typifying the middle class
of the Anglo-Saxo race.
N====M
llI|ll Hate At l|IIIl