The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-03-14
The Religion Of Mr.. KiDliIg.
MR. RUOYARD KIPLING's Recess

cred one OF the CHIEF r6llglOuS events
OF the past two years. The hymn it.
self resounded through England like q
great organ note, awakening distant
echoes Of Luther's hymn, OF Millions
sonnet, "On the Late Massacre in
Piemont," and the noble cadencas of
the fifty first psalm. In thinking of
Mr.. Kipling as continuing the tradi
ton of Milton and Wordsworth, Ten
nyson, and BroWnir g, it is pleasant to
be reminded that the note Of piety in
this latest Of his poems is not isolated,
but is trsceable as the ground note Of
his work. Many Of Mr.. KipliDg's read
ers will recall now the reyerent lines
which formed part OF the dedication to
one of his earliest books, SOLDIERS
Three:
lift the cloth that cloaks the clay,
And, Wearied, at Thy feet / lay
NJ wares ere I go forth TO sell.
The long bsz3r will praise-but Thou
Heart Of my heart, have l dOne7
Though there is between this per
souaI prayer and the great petition Of
the RscessionaI, with it's national con
-seiousness. a long stretch to traverse,
the dynamic emotion, which in both
cases is religious, is as apparent in the
earlier poem as in the latter. So with
tae envoi to "Life's Handicap" which
appeared three years later than the
poem quoted above. This is, Ii any
thing more explicitly and entirely
prayful than it's predecessor.
By my " work before the night,
Great Overseer, l make my prayer.
II there be good in that l wrought,
Thy hand compelled it, Master, Thine:
When l have failed to meet Thy
know, through Thee, the blame Is
mine.
One stone the more swings to her place
In that dread Tzmple Of thy Worth
1t is enough thss through Thy grace
saw naught common on Thy Earth.
This should suffice to make plain the
mood in which Mr.. KIplIng has done
his work, and 90 reveal, underneath
all the InUolerant energy and fierce in.
EeLsIJy OF his writing, the vein Of gen.
ulne religious feeling which has been
iIs chief Stimulus. Mr.. KIplIng's relig.
ION IL neither new nor complex. It
shares with his heroes and his words
3 simple and primal nature There
was never, IN fact, a religion with less
aCsf0tdlug of theology. Such theolo
% as there is to this faith is of the
m0st u compromising orthodoxy, but
for the most part it springs up straight
from the broad base of human feeling,
unexplained and undefended. HIS is
q healthy, austere, old fashioned faith,
the faith of Z Igland and the OLD
-5s5ament. The two great utteraLc %
that We have had of it, The Res.
siOual" and the flynn B efore Action, "
are compound of the words of the
ps3imIsJ and Milton and Cromwell.
They are both such hymns as David
and joshua might have used-Wrought
Of words to suit the mouths of war.
-i0rs Tney were as ft for them who
went against Jericho as for them who
went against Omdurman, and the ar
mics of tue great protector might
have chanted them along with their
ancient battle cries: The sword Of
.aa Lord and Of Gideon; Let God
arise and let His enemies be scattered. "
THIS new prophets Hymn Before Ac
sion" has the same homely trust In
Sod, and makes with Him common
sause against Eagland's enemies, as
did the song of Deborah against the
.Gemies of Israel.
E-e yet we looEe the legions,-
ere yet we draw the blade,
J5hOvah of the Thunders,
ord God of Bastle5, aid.
= en- now their vanguard gathers,
e n now we face a fray
IS Unuu dIdsG help our fathers,
Help b o our host TO day.
Here is nothing lev or skeptical or
-.iaatIfc. but the effective faith in
1icn the saints militant have ever
more gone up to battle or to martyr
ION. The religion of which these are
ne utterance 10 no matter of phIlo
s1phicAl presuppositions or logical cat,
egOries. 1t is q spontaneous and
somewhat primitive response OF hu-
manity to the immediate and awful
Universe. Here is no argument, no
argument, no formal and ordered re-