New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-15
THE GREAT INTERPRETER.
AN ENGLISH TRIBUTE TO RUDYARD
KIPLING-WHAT HE MEANS TO
HIS COUNTRYMEN.
From The london Spectator.

HIS COUNTRYMEN.
From The London Spectator
be While a MI a. killing has been lying as he has mas
solicude and snxaT De zen atoS have literally
known no bounds. This intense longing for MS re
uPon something great deai deeper than the mere
seiSh desire TO draw furthsr and deeper draugn'S
more stories Of Mowgu and the jungle. more tales
The Flag Of England" or 'McAndrews Hymn
OF steam. Again. the sympathy OF the PUBIC
Tor man OF genius struck down n, IL M NJ
sickness and death overshadowing 50 splendid and
so youthful career has doubtless counted ior
hs popaa 0af xe S0@ of hUs ss 9 %
consciously perhaps, but none The less Sirongyi
lose great force in our puy.c life, and great
force for good His absence mg5t leave US .s az
poorer in respect Of what a people always neeGs
most-an influence which. while bright hWns;,
makes for national righteousness. which heps 10
build up the national character anq MAKES ne re
enG more OF to ine a lost Mir Kpng It lost
It's duties and its high destiny. He IS not an in,
shadowy and the vague. but one who dWelt anlons
e By ln fhe s alchemy S Of Els genus forth from
thought the unclean. the true gold. Mankma R H,
too few such interpreters AND navng one sn IN
how, in fact the world wouid ne e9lHl @cts Of
the light ne offers us For three sRto ~ratef5l 10
NJ tin 1h,tS" He has Interpreted so that we may
understand the common soldier, the man hhri ~ he
bayonet-the tortoise on whom IN me iast 80 Wv
the globe Of our Empire rests NeNI nj n i'In,
terpreted India at any rate MADE paI iIihib
Gus the ridescent and mysterious mist IN W rtnT
rrsted For us the head of the district the ma
tive policeman. the men OF tne me- ~, 49, ~ he
iypes with which the Eneshmen come IN 7, con.
tact Lastly he has inieIpreJed ior tea I the
speech and thought OF the mssISf,a sInrlbaked
downs Of South Africas upandsi Most ht ors
prefers have been able 10 trshsis'", U"'} not
ms restricted and like n new Mezzoiant. me-
seem limits TO the things ne can n. ne ne
en- ling as Interpreter between the public and
+! o6or5on solder he may be said. almost with
is Army. To the generation , Wnrn and the first
Nile CO mpaign the Army had become an uIIesr a.. a. d,
sracton. 1t was understood 70 9e NC o}rscoi,r-
was also supposed to he COMPOSED OF me srfed in
ings Of the andhe men whom NOBODY %ai If the
any other capacty-the yerltanie I1@H' Vas as we
nation But for this feeling the arm ANN - some
have said hardly more than an snd foUgbt
wbn5 required but dim TO the ord1h@ an
FrClishman as, shall we say. the shunle' o' ,en
raway5f a MT ,bi kpl BE hs pictures Of Myahy
Ortheris. Learoyd and by MS songs o. 1,7 "Fuzzy-
W7zzv" and the rest OF the "Barrack- Room Pa Pa
lads the pubic yer TeTe once dUmmies but Of hun
gerine thlrstng men who We're Wen a." o,,i9
love honor respect and pity nat the M non nre S9
ing 10 us or by putting up an idea! ma. %. bov
ing us the soldier in his habit as ne IVES c,Irste
eS ,1ode go as Mr. Kipng and might even have
made him talk the soldier TAI rs pIt 'ilg rb ~
ne Gueen Of Egvpt IN the Acts. We had the DC9h'
but there none 20 interpret '' s - ,hat
when the Interpreter was at our SIDE the CONNIE. 1
soldier and his TAX we're "e irTna.s fnterpreta-
on a q 10 l ,e us ali that the East dreams as she
InciOus. Greek. Roman f-ib4l7l NiAli'.'
shut out Mr.. Kipling Ike ne resi- can @i' ga"
fhaf there Is always something pehlnn We sI'.a l
The closed doors Of Indian life. in that Wohu.I!uI
80 ondon 70 his friend In the Central Provinces.
we a re- made 10 understand how the kneAsh suhe
upon what We esteem man nreenTitiye institutions
mn Of Eastern blood IS 10 be- found Do the SlQry
Of the Afghan horse-dealer and what he told his
! nre1ation OF a part Of the physical side OF Asian
Of pure genius they stand alone in kPing VT IT.
ines by means Of an ~, sa AND i,ndrttand the
! Jungle and its life and 10 see through the very
eyes OF the ~ a1ima ,ss gSerpetuay being fought
ont among the wolves the tigers the Panthers
the eiePd9a aYs th he snskes and little people ~
some deep sympathy 81 comp pm ~ The mvstcrv
which once peoped and indeed still peoples. lndla
WIN ANNA go1S; an ng he Jungle We cannot pro-
! feSs 10 trace the connection between Nj Kipling
snakes and the british gods OF me h Th o my
thooFy 9S5 We S, 6eel ihat Of 1nda Witch Inspired
and still inspires the worshippers OF the brute Gre
alton touched fo1 NJ IN a tbe S awe terms Of Mowes
! Jungle friends. And 80 well was his task accom-
yIshed that II seems more than natural that the
| Rnsr and Inc great black panther should be wise
DTd' ,tberlv and that "Kaa" the python when he
| hunts should do his work Il he were incarnate
ddestny-that which Is inexorabie. intolerable and
soXe MT Kipline almost every other man who
| has understood India has failed TO understand the
NV w in intcrpreting the West the East AS we
pointed 9gt po oeae T5e Naive Born he has
| winged with a touch Of passion and imagination
the leS son australia and South Africa have and
ni,gbt 10 nave a and thrilling local patriotism.
anu understood need not in the least interfere
| With or exclude the greater PATRIOTISM Whien We
that wonderful poem enc t5e enfit Of the Cana5ians
iiS s,,etraian and Tie SouthsAfrican. And gradu-
%S o,rattne The national mind. When II has finally
p,iigbf hoid ofsus a greater benefit will have been
go to me Empire than could be wrought by
h ur harmed not 10 call coonists 'dsloyal" be
cause they think strongly ana speak Passionaiey
! s5out their native land, or because tney 90 not
boDnen 10 admire this or that seli-ad vertisng
patriot who has labelled himself an IfieriaHsr ana
piOnlonoIy Of the welfare % the Empire and It's OK
p@3nSon ge nave said to-day must not be taken AS
q, anv sense an adequate appreciation oi NJ
] r4pli
t,r of character. W" have not even alluded
% bs writings about the sea or 10 me 'ac tnai ne.
! ~ IL, eione Of Englishmen. has succeeded ~
mrriring Tie true short story-the real conte All
We have attempted 70 do Is 20 explain no" naturaI
W -,ebr was the instinct OF our pe'pic and, our
M M hotb here and IN America n regard MS illness
Ia ~ etional event Of the nrsi moment An I'M
az "a "%rstton il always an army on the march
| waugh an unknown and hostile country and un-
der s1Ich conditions 10 lose one b's- Interpreter
nDr,,td irdeed have been grlcvous loAs
UANT THE MEETING ~ CLEI|LAND.