New-York tribune., 1902-10-05

,ns whatever shark Of interest may rise in this /
incident or that As for the good points of the /
story We may add that il shows all its au-
thor's accustomed facility. and it has now and |
then an agreeable streak of humor But it is |
not worth while
The second series Of Bret Harte's Con
d used Novels pays the penalty of that com
parison with the first which II is Impossible 10
ayo.d We miss in these new burleslues the per
fect suoutaneity and wholly irresistible humor OF
The Ninety-nine Guardsmen." "Fantine" or
.Lothaw" There is nothing here 10 equal the
ln.-terlv fooliug Of Miss Mix with its prodis-
i1usly funny portraiture OF James RawJester, /
Fsl." But the authors hand had not 10y any
means lost al its cunning ihen he composed
these satires on Anthony Hope. Conan Doyle. .
Hall Caiuc. Rgdyard klPl.ns and others
Though the Lumor Is less suauy aud less per-
vasIve than in the earlier collection. II IS stan
provocative OF q smile. When n turns David /
Harumr into 'DanI Borem" he does not make
him bore Far from it. "nanI' is delightful !
in his absurdItv and the more 50 Inasmueh as
he is the vehicle fur rratly sound criticism
OF the original. IL fact, these parodies arr all
aduira bic in their deft exposure OF those things
in the authors plroded which are really open
To satire. Jungle Folk one of three sklts on
Kipling. l. comic enough IA its description "i
the meeting OF Moo Kow. MlJow and three or
further amusing in the episode which glances
at figures Of Mr KipliuE's uot IA the Juusl"
Book" We quote from this part oi the work
Another dead silence feI on the pool Then
arose that strans", mysterious. lnHrlhdo!r
Thing. known The scent The AAIi'''S
shifted. ,
most famous of British SkpoI Eoaz. said the
Moo Kow They have just placed "A d".1ylnE
guinea pig two white mice iu an aGNtH' "i siai'
Of decomposition and single slice of Limhur-
ger cheese in the bed OF their tutor. They had
Urryiously skiIfuily diverted the drains So that
they emptied into the drawing room or the head
master. They have just burned down hi~ house
in an access of noble zeal. and nghtng
among themselves for the spoil Hark- 10 -
hear them:
Then these be surely the B,nder Log thu
monkey folk-of whom the good khuddyidd has
told Us" said a Gee Gee-"the ones who nave
no purpose-and forget every thing"
Fool said the Moo kow. Know y~ not
that the great Rhuddyidd has said that the
Stalkies became Major-Generals. N-C's and
g BIS Of the English Truly they are great
Look now; ye shall see one OF The greatest traits
Of the English Staiky"
One of the pygmy Stalkies was offering bun
TO a larger one who hesitat-d but took II coldiy
Behold 1t is one of the greatest traits of
this mighty race not 10 show any emotion lie
would take the buu-he has taken BE- He rs
pleased-but he may not show IT, observe him
The taller Stalkv. after eating th. bun quietly
kicked the glver knocked OF his hat and turned
away with a calm. immoy1hle face.
Good said the Moo koN. -le would not
dream that he Was absolutely choking with
grateful emotion
we would not" said the animals
'I3ut why are they all running back the way
they came asked III Ii"i.
They are going back punishment Great is
its power. Have We not heard the gospel Of
Ilhuddyidd the mighty Fore is every thing
Genteness won't wash, courtesy * dpcritfui.
IOliteness is foreign. BE ye beaten that ye may
beat. Pass the kick on
That preoccupation with the South African
war and that strange conception of himself as
the guardian Of the British Empire which have
left unfortunate mark upon Ar. Kip
ling's recent work for matur" readers. have
done nothing to hurt the book which has just
pone from his pen. Just So Stories for title
Children" II is nothing less than little mas
ferpiece OF its kind. 1t is as much Of a work
of genius. in it, way. The Man Who Was"
Dr any other of the authors more ambitious
performances. To begin with. Mr.. Klpling
starts with an idea calculated To fascindte a
child at once. How did the things happen that
presented To the wondering gaze of little
boys and girls when they look upon the
natural world? How did the whale get his
big throat the camel his monstrous hump the
rhinoceros his wrinkled skin. the elephant his
trunk? How did the kangaroo learn to jump?
Mr. Kipling makes the best Of all appeals TO
childhood when lac appeals to its instinct of
satiable curiosity and he proceeds To satisfy
1t after fashion Incompatible for freshness and
charm Invention runs rfo in this hocL h,,t 20