New-York tribune., 1904-10-04
THE NEW KIPLING.
A RomGncer Turned Into Irac-
tartan.

TRAFFfcs AND DIscovE5sRIE4So y 80 Ha0szI fzge
& Co
Fer some tine II has been extremely difacu-t
for Mr. Kipliag's readers 20 place hila- -hey
know their old KipIing 5y heart. but by the ne"
one they are soreIy baftie5. Has he lost tne
magic that is still potent IN dozens Of his carrier
stories. or has he deliberately chosen 10 exploit
different resources? Have life and literature
come 10 possess new meanings for him, or is ne
passing through q temporary phase OF thought
from which he could delach himself. II II suited
his whirn revfvizS the old glamour with the old
authority These and similar questions have
been provoked by The stories brought together
in the present volume rs they have appeared IN
one unarazi-e or another. and they have been
answered by many speculative commentators
We have ourselves expressed certain hopes, and
fears for Mr.. Kipling. IN nouicing several OF
these later productions. But IL has needed their
publication within the covers Of a single vol
urle 70 clear the ground as II We're, so that
each step In the development OF the period they
represent might be studied II its proper re-a-
ton, and the whole mass OF work be put n
true perspective. The upshOt Of the matter IS
that We must practically bid farewell 10 the
rouancer and welcome tractarian- OF course,
the warmth OF the welcome depends altogether
upon the value which you attribute 10 q tract
as distinguished from q romance.
That Mr. KipIing has been transformed, 10
one can deny who reads "Trafhcs and Discov-
cries" with az open mind So reading II, inme-
distely after going through The Jungle Book
from cover 10 cover. al a single sitting, We have
been struck n the first place By one unTlis-
taxable fact. The jungle Book" reread for
the third or fourth time. has left the same pow
erful impression left by It on It's first appear
ance. and the prospect Of returning 70 it again
is still aIluring. Frankly. We cannot imagine
ourselves rereading "Traflcs and Discoveries" ="
and We ind the explanation in nothing so much
n the change Of the authors point o. View.
once he told stories because 50 far as the reader
could perceive. he could not help himself. Now
he writes them, II We may judge from things "
ing on the surface. because he wants 10 prove
something. II might be argued that II IS a
matter OF his now wanting 70 paint the thing as
q Is. leaving the Illusion 70 take care Of itself
where IN former times he had the romancer's
sense OF the transcendeur importance OF Illusion:
but we think Il is rather q case OF observation
taking the place Of imaginative power. AIr.
Kipling now obviously makes copy out OF con
temporary events and types, where in the old
days he gave US creations. Let Us take the new
tales. more less in their order. and test them
IN the light OF this hypothesis
The Captive" treats OF the South African
war. the American who does most OF the talk
ing a 4 serving as & Kind Of rOUuhpiece through
which Mr. Kipltngs views on that episode aPe
clearly hiuted- IN The Bonds Of Discipline
which comes next we are introduced 10 one
Emanuel Pyecroft, second class petty Officer II
the British navy. This Individual, IN his re-
sourcefulnesE. IN his capacity for the absorption