The Years Between   By: Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

by

RUDYARD KIPLING

[Illustration]

Methuen and Co. Ltd. 36 Essex Street W.C. London First Published in 1919

DEDICATION

TO THE SEVEN WATCHMEN

Seven Watchmen sitting in a tower, Watching what had come upon mankind, Showed the Man the Glory and the Power, And bade him shape the Kingdom to his mind. 'All things on Earth your will shall win you' ('Twas so their counsel ran) 'But the Kingdom the Kingdom is within you,' Said the Man's own mind to the Man. For time, and some time As it was in the bitter years before, So it shall be in the over sweetened hour That a man's mind is wont to tell him more Than Seven Watchmen sitting in a tower.

CONTENTS

PAGE BENEFACTORS, THE 96 CHOICE, THE 35 'CITY OF BRASS, THE' 148 COVENANT, THE 13 CRAFTSMAN, THE 91 DEAD KING, THE 100 DEATH BED, A 106 DECLARATION OF LONDON, THE 6 DEDICATION v EN DOR 55 EPITAPHS 135 FEMALE OF THE SPECIES, THE 128 'FOR ALL WE HAVE AND ARE' 21 FRANCE 15 GEHAZI 109 GETHSEMANE 85 HOLY WAR, THE 38 HOUSES, THE 42 HYÆNAS, THE 68 JUSTICE 156 IRISH GUARDS, THE 48 LORD ROBERTS 31 MARY'S SON 80 MESOPOTAMIA 65 MY BOY JACK 61 NATIVITY, A 52 NATURAL THEOLOGY 121 OLDEST SONG, THE 119 OUTLAWS, THE 27 PILGRIM'S WAY, A 114 PRO CONSULS, THE 87 QUESTION, THE 33 RECANTATION, A 58 ROWERS, THE 1 RUSSIA TO THE PACIFISTS 44 SONG AT COCK CROW, A 125 SONG IN STORM, A 24 SONG OF THE LATHES, THE 81 SONS OF MARTHA, THE 75 SPIES' MARCH, THE 70 THINGS AND THE MAN 93 ULSTER 9 VERDICTS, THE 63 VETERANS, THE 5 VIRGINITY, THE 112 ZION 29

INDEX TO FIRST LINES

PAGE Across a world where all men grieve, 156 A. 'I was a "have"' B. 'I was a "have not,"' 135 After the burial parties leave, 68 Ah! What avails the classic bent, 96 A tinker out of Bedford, 38

Be well assured that on our side, 24 Brethren, how shall it fare with me, 33 Broke to every known mischance, lifted over all, 15

For all we have and are, 21

God rest you, peaceful gentlemen, let nothing you dismay, 44

'Have you news of my boy Jack?' 61 He passed in the very battle smoke, 31

I ate my fill of a whale that died, 121 I do not look for holy saints to guide me on my way, 114 If you stop to find out what your wages will be, 80 In a land that the sand overlays the ways to her gates are untrod, 148

Not in the thick of the fight, 63