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Show KIPLING THE HERO OF A FRENCH NOVEL. The French novel which was crowned by the Goncourt Academy . in 1906, is declared by a critic of Lc Figaro, (Paris) to be almost a por-' por-' trait of Kipling. The title of the volume, which is derived from the name of the hero of the story, is " Dingley, the Famous Writer." In this work the authors, Jerome and Jean Tharaud, arc said to have presented pre-sented the incarnation of Anglo-Saxon imperialism and ambition. In ef fect the novel is an unsparing ar-.ii ar-.ii raignment of aggro rive and cruel patriotism, and the recognition awarded it by the Goncourt Academy is noted as a departure from the customary cus-tomary practice of that body, who have formerly laid suess upon literary liter-ary matter and expression rather than on the substance of hooks. The plot is thus condensed by the critic of the Figaro: t " Dingley is a genius and an im- mensely popular novelist. He has glorified English empire and colon ialism. He has understood and delineated de-lineated Oriental as well as Occiden tal character; he has made the past live and has interpreted ancient civilization civil-ization to modem. In short, he has known success, fame, and glory. " Yet he is not satisfied. lie is not certain of the perms nence of his fame. He fears it ro3ts on the enthusiasm en-thusiasm "of artists, women, and childiVn. Il'e admires virility and action, and thinks mere writing, mere imagininr. in. worthy of the best powers of man. lie would like to achieve something truly heroic, to add a stone to the edifice of empire. " An accidental scene witnessed by, him on the street decides his course. The British Empire, a' that moment, is held in check and defied in South Africa by a mere handful of audacious audaci-ous and insolent Boers. The pride of England in wounded and humilatcd, arid all patriots arc disheartened Dingley happens to sec how a recruiting re-cruiting sergeant securi s two or three volunteers for the campaign after filling fil-ling them with gin and extorting binding promises from them. These drunken, lazy, good-icr-nolhing vag rants, Dingley says to hhimsclf, when they recover self-con'rol and find themselves in her Majesty's uniform, will be transformed into men, into soldiers of empire. The virtues and heroism of war will make noble creatures creat-ures of them. What a fine subject for a book on war for empire! " The first few chapters of the new book are written at once in feverish haste, but Dingley determines to cm-bark cm-bark for South Africa and sec the war for himself. His wife, a gentle, noble woman of French extraction, urges him to stay in England and take a more philosophical view of war, which legradcs and brutalizes some, even if it elevates others. She is not in sympathy with a ' hard, selfish sel-fish imperialism,' and begs Dingley to think of humanity at large. But her objections arc vain. He leaves for South Africa with his wife and boy, Archie. " During the voyage the seamy side of militarism is show'n in the filthy transports of troops, but Dingley refuses re-fuses to consider such trifles. A war-ship fills him with admiration. They reach Cape Colony, and Ding-, ley follows a detachment of troops that is pursuing a rebellious Boer commando. Mrs. Dingley remains at Cape Town and forms a friendship with a loyal Boer family, Du Toit, one of whose membcis, however, the eldest son, had become a rebel and had fought the British. The fate of this son, Lucas, ill unknown, but it is feared that he iniftht have been taken prisoner. " Archie, son of his father, goes out at nighfto sec an executed Boer rebel and returns with a fever that threatens to be fatal. Dingley is hurriedly sent for, rnd the letter reaches him at a distance. The road is not safe, the field, arc barren, deserted, de-serted, and the badly dug graves ot soldiers arc on every hand. Dingley chances to fall into the hands of Lucas Lu-cas Du Toit, who, however, shows every kindness to the imperialist and Boer-hating Englishman, thus heaping heap-ing coals of fire upon his head. Dingley Ding-ley arrives too late; his boy is dead. The poor mother is d:sconsolatc, but Dingley thinks of his country, of empire, em-pire, and docs not nutsc private grief very long. Lucas is caught, and Dingley's intervention can save him from an ignominious death; he refuses re-fuses to lift a finger to help the rebel "who has befriended him. "Dingley returns to England, and is acclaimed by a frenzied mob which witnesses with glee tne 'moving picture pict-ure ' of a Boer execution." Translation Trans-lation made for The Literary Digest. |
