The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-28
RUDYARD


1t Is about ten years since Mr.. Kipling's
name became known in this country. Prob
ably the very first bit of his work that was
published here was the stirring Ballad Of
East and West copied from an English
magazine for which he had written it. Even
this and several later poems did not have
his name attached, but bore the signature
of "Yussuf." The swing and spiri of that
Ballad at once attracted attention. how
ever, and set discriminating readers on the
watch for other work from the same pen.
The other work came rapidly and recogni-
ton was not delayed. Mr.. Kipling took his
world by storm, and his power was at once
conceded. 1t was quickly learned that his
talent was not of the sporadic type, ex-
hausted with a single story or poem. The
plain Tales from the Hills created a
Juror in the literary world. Some said It
was because the writer had found a new
field, but this was not true. Writers Of fc-
ton had been in India before, and Tommy
Atkins had not been unknown as material
for the novelist. But he had never been
portrayed as this man portrayed him.
"Ortheris,'' "Learoyd,' "Mulvaney' were
introduced into circles which had never
known their kind before, and received en-
thusiastic welcome. The stories were en-
tered at once upon the list OF classics, and
there they are likely to remain. The world
came to know what the British soldiers and
the British civil employees had to do and
to endure in India as it had never known
from volumes Of descriptions and statistics.
Kipllng's stories were vivid as life itself.
Whether he described the pranks of Tommy
Atkins or by a def word proved his pos
session Of a soul in touch with the souls
of all humanity; whether he pictured a tiger
hunt or wrought such an exquisite love
story as without Benefit of Clergy"
whether he produced "MacAndrew's Hymn"
or the Observation-Disclosures came from
his hand had that in it which lifted it above
the commonplace, which made men read 1t
once and again, which fixed 1t In their mem
ories-which was, in short, that rare and
precious thing, genius. All that was turned
into the crucible of his mentality came out
a finer metal. Not all that he wrote is
alike ~good-there are degrees of merit in
the products of genius-but there is little
that he need regret. And there is so much
that is worthy Of all praise. Children will
know him through his Jungle Books for
many q generation, no doubt. Whether other
stories and his poems will live and place
his name among the immortals is not for
those of his own day to say, nor does it
matter. He has pleased the world during
his own time; he has worked as an artist
and done his best, and out of it all he has
had the reward that every honest worker
must have-the approval of his own soul.
What he did was done humbly, as his W
lines show
'If there be good in that I wrought,
Thy hand compelled 1t, Master Thine:
Where l have failed to meet Thy thought
know through Thee, the blame is mine.
1t is enough that through Thy grace
L saw naught common on Thy Earth"
He has produced much in ten years, but
has not given a suggestion of overcreation.
Behind it all was a reserve power that gave
hope for a future in which better was to
come. OF high quality though his work has
been, more and better was confidently eX-
pected of him. He had plainly not reached
his zenith. This remarkable man, by far
the most brilliant and promising literary
personality of the time, is brought close to
the next stage Of existence. If he pass on
it can only be regarded as a calamity by
the multitude whom he has delighted. The
world, for he has spoken in many voices to
world. for he has SPOKEN in many voices to
many p~eople-will grieve, and each reader
will feel that he has suffered personal loss.
1t will be long ere they shall cease to Ia
ment that this eager. gifted soul should
have been called so early. But they will
not imagine such genius snuffed out. They
will recall his own look into the future.
when, after a rest of an aeon or two, :"
when "the Master of all Good orkm
shall set him to work anew
And only the Master shall praise US, and
only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no
one shall work for fame;
But each for the joy of working, and each
in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees 1t for the
God Of uNbfnoS as They ire -