Smyrna times., 1901-08-28

The evanescence of popular opinion
is thoroughly shown in the case of
Kipling, the English poet and story
writer. Last winter the papers were
Glled with Kipling-his wonderful
fight for life from an attack of pneu-
monia. The great change in the pub
lie mind in regard to this great literary
hero, is thus set forth in the New
York Sun;
ut seems sometimes that many
Americans have a singular gift for set
ting up and casting down idols. For
few weeks somebody is praised ex-
travagantly; made hero and demi-
god. Millions read raptly of the color
of his air and of his favorite break
fast dishes. Before long safety and
reaction came. In the statue before
which the worshipers loved to kneel
they can see only the feet of clay;
and they throw bricks at the head they
used to wreathe with roses. Recent
American instances of this fckleness
of popular favor are not wanting but
1T is more polite to take an English ex-
ample. When Rudyard Kipling lay at
the point of death, as it was supposed,
in this town, there was a surprising
demonstration ofgeneral public regret.
In fact it was a little too general and
extravagant to be absolutely simple
and sincere. Some of it, we suspect,
was merely an indication of the extent
TO which Mr.. Kipling was known. A
Sta5epany persons had read his
= o~s--A out great many more had read
Of them and him in the newspapers
We don't imagine that the car conduc-
tors and elevator boys and policemen
who showed such solicitude for his
health were or are in the habit of study
ing his works. For the moment he
was a great public character, just as
Cresceus is today, or Fitzimmons was
a few months ago.
At any rate a vast amount of sensi
bility was shown. Mr.. Kipling was
made much of, taken to the bosom of
the American people, almost drowned
his way and the American worshippers
went theirs and forgot about him
mostly. Life is short and just at present
1t is full of best selling novels or nov
els which you must read or read about
Literary taste changed. All the Miss
Fancys Of criticism, all the drOolers o.
sapless commonplace, all the tame
cats of literature spat and sputtered a
this wretched Kipling. He was low
he was brutal he was profane, he was
vulgar, in short he was a wildcat anC
no pretty little drawing room puss
The South African war broke out S,
did Mr.. Kipling. Being a thorough
going British imperialist patriot, natu
rally he took the British imperialist'
side. That gave the American anti
Kiplingites hold. Probably the mu
jority of Americans sympathized wit
the Beers. Here was an excellent OF
portunity to jump upon the British i'm
perialist Kipling. Some of his wa
verses have not been admirable from
literary point of view, but his purpOs
in writing them was not literary. H
knew he was sure Of a great audience
No other Englishman is so heard b
far-fung British line, as he woul
say, than Greater England. His latei
production is bad poetry; it is not pot
try at all; but it is piece of militar
and administrative criticism which
wants to hammer into the heads of b
countrymen.
Great or little, bad or good, KipliI
has not changed He is the same Ki
ling that was slobbered over by me
who abuse him now. He is payil
the penalty of extravagant prais
Most of the present censure of him
just as excessive. He knows perfect
we'll what he is trying to do. He
trying to beat certain ideas into Br
ish pnblic opinion. In so trying
makes verses that are frankly fault
yet we have seen as bad by a mu
greater poet, Tennyson. It is by
generally good work and not by |
occasionally bad work that Kipli
should be judged and will be Judge