The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-05-11
KIPLING MAY YET COME BACK.

. llcan considers the literary careers Oh tHe la'e
Richard Harding Davis and OF hudyard Mp
ling, the coupling of these men beng suggested
by the recent death of Mr.. Davis and the cele-
bration by Mr.. Kipling of his tiftleth birthday.
The Republican notes the feeling of disap-
, pointment which underlies the comment on the
:, work of both men, feeling that bespeaks be
lief that neither writer has fulfilled the prom
Use of early years or risen to the height OF ms
/ abilities.
, It NAV be asserted without fear of contra
idiction that Mr.. Davis failure to develop be-
vond the metes and bounds he set himself as a
good storytelier was due to his value OF sue
cess as a popular writer, with its rewards IN
reputation and money. Whether he was lit
Ierarv genius the world will never know, Tor he
left no work that rises beyond promising evil
dence of this possibility.
But with Kipling the case is different; he Is
still of an age that makes the future a great
possibility. His arrested development has not
been caused by desire to cultivate his public
by giving it what it seems to demand; he has,
on the contrary, shown particular disregard
Of the public's wishes. After some variations
of his famous soldier stories and tales Of adj
venture in foreign lands, he gave us kim
and the reading world settled to the conviction
that he was arriving at his real meter. Instead
terest himself in all sorts Of mechanical things,
he became for literary|purposes piece OF To-
I comotive a boat or Of anything impersonal
which he chose to exploit. Things went from
| bad to worse with him. but occasionally he
would achieve mental revolt into his old
world of interests and a fine story would come
from him. At present his work seems to pre-
sage an outworn productive genius. But with
| a writer who has so continually followed his
own bent and been so completely absorbed IN
his own casual interests there is always posi-
bility of broadening outlook, real mental
energy resumed that shall have noble results
When a writer devotes himself to material re-
ward seeking, his limit is set; but while he
! leaves the door open to new impulses, the
genius that is in him may still have it's day.
| Conserving health is not merely matter of
selfish interest to the individual. Every man is
under obligation to keep his health, because OF
those Immediately dependent upon him for sup
port And if he be without immediate depend
ents, then he is obligated to society to keep
we'll because of the useful work that he may
do Sickness drains not only the person who is
! i'll, but the community, even though the ailing
one may not be dependent upon charity. 1t is
to the material disadvantage of community to
have any productive worker made a non-pro-
Queer, even temporarily. by illness.
! The merging Of Harper's Weekly with the
independent comes with less Of a shock to low
ers of per1nanence than it might have few
years ago. The real Harper's Weekly, the ia
nous ''journal Of civilization,' ceased to exist
long ago, and its death comes result Of
failure to observe the ideals set up by its
founders.
Young John Jacob Aston, aged four years,
must have begun to circulate in the New York
city White Light district early. He cannot live
up to his name ON beggarly $4,000 year.
! The socialist minority in the house Of repre-
sentatives sharply reminded few days
ago that the house is not a hired hail where bill
ngsgate passes current.
| The fishing season being on, Truth will
please take a vacation or stuff cotton in her
ears while the fishermen tell some human in
terest stories
They who spend eleven dollars for every ten
dollars Of income not on the road to riches
or even competence.
| Germany's reply seems to have been deIiv
lered upon the point of sabre