The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-17

ton, are compound of the words of the
psalmist and Milton and Cromwell.
They are both such hymns as David
and Joshua might have used-wrought
or words to suit the mouths of warriors.
They were as fit for them who went
up against Jericho as for them who
went against Omdurman, and the arm
les of the great protector might have
ehanted them along with their ancient
battle cries: The sword of the Lord
and of Gideon; Let God arise and let
his enemies be scattered
After quoting part of the Hymn be-
fore action the essayist continues:
Here Is nothing new or sceptical or
scientific, but the effective faith in
which the saints militant have ever
more gone up to battle or to martyr
dom. The religion of which these are
the utterance is no matter of philosoph-
lcai presuppositions or logical catego-
fles. 1t is spontaneous and some
what primitive response of humanity
TO the immediate and awful universe.
Here is no argument, no formal and
ordered religion of the head, but re-
ilslon of the heart and viscera, out of
the bowels of men in great conflict and
great conquest, with the sweat and
plood OF grim primal struggle on their
races. and the words of inevitable need
and dire honesty on their lips.
This is essentially racial faith-a
matter of clan and family, of company
ana regiment, and fellowship in great
Undertakings. And for this it needs
no apology. So have been all living
religions always. Never had Chris
uanlty made any impress on the Ger
manic heart except it had been preach
ed as a doctrine of divine knighthood
ana chivalry, with Christ as the bright
exemplar, armed and mounted like
German knight, and helped by his IL
knlghty followers. And as in such
Warllke presentment, the gentle Christ
lrst made conquest of our Germanic
ancestors. so always the militant as
pect OF the faith has been dear to the
Anslo-Saxon's heart, to be told in all
sagas and sung by all his singers from
Caedmon to this latest voice of his re-
llgion and his race.
Mr.. Kipling's religion, then, is sim
pie with but slight skeleton of theol-
ogy ana less organization of philoso-
phy. 1t is old, of old English fighters
ana older Hebrew prophets Moreover
II is essentially racial. 1t follows that
the pest Interpretation to be had of
such faith is through the men who
embody it, for it is at every point hu-
man. 1t could not be other, for Mr..
hlpllngs world is human world He
says explicitly and as it seems with a
touch of scorn, we are neither chill
dren nor gods. but men in a world of
men, In this world of men undiluted
innocence and divinity do not dwell.
These robust people have no affinity
with abstractions; on creeds and sacra-
ments they do not waste a thought; of
churcnes. also, they are neglectful;
tney listen to no sermons and even the
music. but go to the bugle, the banjo
and the drum. The religion that these
people have is not for saints or may
tyrs, for angels or children; it is not to
dream about or philosophize over, but
FOR Tommy Atkins and the crew of the
victoria to live and die by.
Mr. Kipling's religion is not only hu-
man, but almost exclusively masculine.
II does not belong to saints, neither
GOES IT belong to women, but to I'M
chastened, faulty men-to Dick Heldsr
MoAndrews, Sir Anthony Gloster and
MuiVaney. Masculine they are to the
core, Nke primitive heroes, with the
Wander-feVer in their blood. the VEN
ture-Eight in their eyes, in their ears
the roar of breakers and of big guns. in
1heT nostrils the odors Of the mossy
Il imalaya forests and the spices of Man
oalay to lure them out from comforts
and shelter.
Among them all there is the free
of daring that looses the bonds
ana overleaps the barriers of race. Fuz-
zy- Wuzzy and Tommy, Gunga Din and
Her Majesty's Jollies here find a com
mon relationship. The freemasonry of
courage knows nc frontiers; its mem
pers belong to the whole round earth:
latitude and longitude, and all the lines
that Keep men asunder, that have brok-
to- -
enc bonds they have broken, they make
stronger ones-to bind together swarthy
Afg'han robbers and blonde English Of
ncers in the loyalty of blood brothers.
Like Ulysses of old, these men ere
roVers and Adventures. From the
drummer boys of the Fore and Aft
TO The man who would be king the
iast OF hardshep and danger is upon
them all. Captain Gadsby leading the
charge at Andheran. Mulyaney riding
une mad elephant through the streets
OF CaWnpore, Strickland plunging into
the mysterious peri1s of native India.
are only familiar examples. These men
seem to belong with Homer's heroes to
the childhood of the world, when men
We're boys and creeds were brief Yet
IN the hearts of them and their fellows
SIprI ig the falth and the practice of Mr..
Mr.. Parker sums up what seems to
the writer an exceedingly sane and
Just estimate in this wise:
The religion of such men Is short
ana swiftly told. Mr.. Kipling puts it
all IN one of the verses to his friend
ana hero, Wolcott Balestier Who had
gone ms work and held his peace and
mad no fear to die, A simple religion.
as simple as that of the primitive he
roes-of Ulysses. of Sydney, and stout
Sir Richard Granville Two words
would hold it all-courage and TOLL
courage, the merry daring that laughs
tne world to scorn; TOLL the quenchless
EFFORT to make the world obey. They
who forged this faith, surely took coun- |
sci of the worlds prophets-of Joshua
ana ST. Paul; of Joshua for the first
or it-'Be not afraid, neither be We dis |
mayed, and st. Paul for the second J
= Endure hardness like good soldier i,
DO your work and fear nothing this |
is the gospel Mr.. Kipling has ever
preached, and he has preached it CON
sistently Even that flinty hearted |
young pagan, Dick Heldar, in The
Light that Failed breaches work. and |
the only mission for which, in The
Children of the Zodiac the gods were
brought to earth was to preach, Thou |
shalt not be afraid
This religion needs no interpreta-
tion. They who hold it are not men
of speech. Words of their faith are
lar from their lips, as often the path |
OF their faith is far from their feet; |
but at sea or ashore they blazon the
unspoken creed in unmistakable deeds. |
sometimes it is in a revel of reckless
adventure that makes a boys blood |
Jingle. Then at midnight and naked |