The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-03-04

and his place in literature not at oil as
sured, that IL the British empire in
India should become thing Of the past,
those stories would be more valuable to
the historian Of the future than all the
tons OF government reports ever mailed
to England. When lola wrote "L'As-
sommoir" he declared that it was 1.-The
first story Of the people that had the
smell Of the people, Certainly Mr.. Kip
ling lie the first English author who has
abandoned the Snug standpoint OF the
quarterback and g ,ne down to find what
life was like before the mast. The
Bridge Builders lie one of the NEST
characteristic stories in the present vol.
ume. Findlayson was civil engineer
who was building bridge over the
Ganges. He had been building it for
three years. He had changed the face
OF the country for miles around; bur-
rowed out pits and thrown up embank.
ments, and seen village Of workmen
grow up and about him. HE had en-
dured heat and cold, disappointment,
discomfort, danger and disease" Mean.
time the bridge grew, plate by plate,
girder by girder, span by span.' and
"Findlayson" built his life into the
bridge. Even "Peroo," the native over.
seer, says, my honor is the honor Of the
bridge" That lie Mr.. Kipling's idea Of
work. fancy, moreover, that it is the
epirit in which he works. He Hnds
energy the most wonderful and terrible
and beautiful thing in the universe; the
energy Of great machines, Of animals in
their hunt for prey. Of me1 10 their
hand.to hand fight for foothold 10 the
world. He has found in this energy SUBJ
ject matter for art, whereas it has pre-.
viously been considered the exclusive
province OF science. An inevitable &C.
compartment Of this worship OF force is
bis keen interest in the entire physical
world, and his sympathy for workmeu in
every field, and his Unsuitable avidity
for the details Of every trade. Give him
the routine of mans business, and he
will make the man for you. Where he
has acquired all his minute technical
knowledge of bridge building, cod fish-
ing, railroading, jungle creatures, army
and civil lie. his accurate and smypa.
thetic knowledge Of topography, that is
a part of bis genius and natures secret.
Enumeration, which has somehow come
to be reckoned az one Of the innovations
Of realism, 10 az old az the Catalogue Of
the Ships in the Ilisd, and Mr.. Kipling's
uae OF it is not unlike Homer's. He can
take list Of facts 40 dull 40 an extract
from report Of the treasury bureau Of
statistics. and with few deft touches
behold! it is a-throb with life, clear and
vivid, and complete az sketch by Meis.
eonier. Take the following extract from
his remarkable abroad story, "OO7," de.
scriptive OF a freight yard 10 great
: city.
100 pushed out gingerly bis heart in
his head light, 90 nervous that the
sound OF his own bell almost made him
} Jump the track. Lanterns waved, ad-
vanced up and down before and behind
3 him; and on every side, six tracks deep
. sliding backward and forward, with
clashipgs Of couplers and squeals OF
} hand brakes, were cars-more cars than
. 007 had ever dreamed OF. There were
, oil.cars, hsy.cars and stock cars full OF
lowing beasts. and ore-cars and potato
cars with stove pipe ends sticking out in
! the middle; cold.storage and refrigerator
cars dripping ice water on the tracks