New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
LEO ADOLESCENS.
SOME MEMORIALS OF RUDYARD KIP
LINGS YOUTH.
FROM SEA TO SEA Letters Of Travel BY Rud-
yard kiplng. In Two Volumes. Octave. PIP.
KIN i~ TX, 400. Doubleday & Mcclure Com

In these two volumes" writes Mr.. Kipling
in a brief preface, Il have got together the bulk
/ of the special correspondence and occasional
articles written by me for The Civil and Military
Gazette and The Pioneer between 1857 and
lNN9 have been forced to this action by the
enterprise Of various publishers who not con-
tent with disinterring old newspaper work from
the decent seclusion Of the Office files. have in
several instances seen fit to embellish it with
additions and interpretations" One may sym
pathiZe with the author in his thinly veiled
sentiment of what unauthorized busybodes
have done; one may respect his modest implica
tion that his old newspaper work was not worth
disinterment; but then, too, since the work is
at last put in our hands in the best possible
shape, we may dare to disagree with Mr.. Kip
ling as to its merits; may even rejoice that
he has submitted to circumstances and made
US free Of his early writings. They may not be
masterpieces. They have beyond a doubt, Ger
tain marks Of immaturity. The attitude Of the
writer is sometimes overpowerngly knowing
and plainly there was a time when he paid but
scant attention TO the fact that there is nothing
more foolish than to waste time and breath on
fools A Globe Trotter Of genius should not
pause, as Mr. Kipling often paused, to describe,
analyze and anathematiZe the Globe Trotter
who can only trot We learn also that once MI
Kipling could be guilty Of a pun in print He
could characterize an unsatisfactory inn as
dark bungalothesome hotel" and he could
.ueak Of having gone through Hong Kong for
a night from a genuine desire to see what they
call Life with capital Hell" But having sol
EMMY recorded these heinous sins and the
wickedness Of the press that has allowed few
names in these volumes To get themselves IN
correctly printed. what is one to do2 one can
only envy the readers Of The civil ana Military
Gazette" and The Pioneer" who were priv-
legged t. read these Letters OF TraNeI ten
years ago. and enjoy 50 much the sooner the
pleasure which is now given TO wider world.
In various ways this early work throws light
on the development Of Kiplns's great gifts.
We have scarcely turned the first pages before
We come upon this note in an account OF WISH
to Jevporc. A pervcrse taste for low company
drew the Engl.shman from the pavement
w a Side street where he assisted at a quail
fight and found the low-caste Eajput a cheeE
and affable soul" How fruitful to literature has
been that "perverse taste for low company
OF course. the traveller soon learned that the
owner Of the losing quail trooper in the
Naharai4s army and he capped that bit OF IN
formation with another and another. The quaIi-
fight is ONLY an episode in the letter-lt Is hard-
lv that: but the few lines are eloquent iai-
reaching: they show US the man oi Ihsald'''
curiosity exercising his faculty for winning 'he
confidence Of all manner Of men and eNua'''HE
from them the secrets Of their lives FROM 'he
troopers tale about his accouuements 10 'a'N
about other things far more interesting could
have heen only a step. II Kipling did not uP'"
this occasion get some first hand views on h"-
tive life. W. may be sure that II was Oec"uSe
At the moment he did not want theH'' ~
could have got them. had he choseh' OF '"d'
..,,ob Wa are certain His letters could have
hae, written by no one else. Through them al
runs the authority OF man VINO sets d. 'n'
bottom OF subject partly by instinct anu pa" "'
nv warming to human nature on Its most ha'U
raj side There is a delightful passage III o'e
Of the letters from Japan The writer was '"''
oughIy aware that ii was his bouhueh uu'! -
=, ,,or rolitical leaders at Toxic and do
,,.,d other INDISPENSABLE things. But MS
- -, ,,,as the best way. Il heard the tramp
- o-,,,ad men under my window he says
..--,, ,,arade ground was within stone lhIO"
- .ha Toxic Hotel: the imperial troops were
80 rarade Would you have bothered
vour head about politics or temples ran "''e'
-" And because he ran after them because
IN h;s travels he ran after the thing that
,.-os.od him and studied il with absorbing
-, his stories are full OF experience ana
,,a ae well as of Imagination and genius
-. toFora we reach The Smith Administra-
80, . hatch of sketches thrown more or less
'. tho form OF fiction and closing the second
-. +beee volumes We are conscious in the let
.re If the elements which have gone to make
.ha rornancer II is not simply that an aHusloh
:. ",ba ,nlwars OF Marwar and the Jeza1ls OF
Tcnk" wakes memories of line somewhere III