For the last few weeks not only Tommy Atkins, but all the Anglo-Indian goma munity have been. in a.yront state of suspense owing to Kipling's illness, and the relief now felt at the news of his convalesence, is unspeakable... Kipling has taken a wonderful hold over our hearty and not alone ours in India, but over the hearts of those in the old country, for now-, a-days almost everyone has sino tie with India, and how many thers.are at home whose life's interest is bound' up, with those that ar" nearest to their heart, those who. are working, perhaps for thit interests, in India's sultry clime. Kipling adopts the methods of calling a spade a spade, and though people reading some of his tales of Anglo-Indian life such os Plain Tales from the Hills, seo only the dark and ugly' side of India' (though it be a true one) and not seeing the other side with the feeling of good fellowship which unites us, are upt to form a false and harsh judgment of our society and our life, we who live here forgive him this willingly. To us who see both-sides of Anglo-Indinn life these, very stories have pointed out to us our failing and our weak points, and we feel grateful to Kipling for doing so.
It is not surprising to see that the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.