One day Kipling and Bok were engaged in a discussion of the Boer
problem, which was then pressing. Father Kipling sat by listening, but
made no comment on the divergent views, since, Kipling holding the
English side of the question and Bok the Dutch side, it followed that
they could not agree. Finally Father Kipling arose and said: "Well, I
will take a stroll and see if I can't listen to the water and get all
this din out of my ears."
Both men felt gently but firmly rebuked and the discussion was never
again taken up.
Bok tried on one occasion to ascertain how the father regarded the son's
work.
"You should feel pretty proud of your son," remarked Bok.
"A good sort," was the simple reply.
"I mean, rather, of his work. How does that strike you?" asked Bok.
"Which work?"
"His work as a whole," explained Bok.
"Creditable," was the succinct answer.
"No more than that?" asked Bok.
"Can there be more?" came from the father.
"Well," said Bok, "the judgment seems a little tame as applied to one
who is generally regarded as a genius."
"By whom?"
"The critics, for instance," replied Bok.
"There are no such," came the answer.
"No such what, Mr. Kipling?" asked Bok.
"Critics."
"No critics?"
"No," and for the first time the pipe was removed for a moment. "A
critic is one who only exists as such in his own imagination."
"But surely you must consider that Rud has done some great work?"
persisted Bok.
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