Page:Rudyard Kipling's verse - Inclusive Edition 1885-1918.djvu/99

Rh Your business! I could tell you what I did

Some nights of Eighty-five, at Simla, worth

A Kingdom's ransom. When a big ship drives

God knows to what new reef, the man at the wheel

Prays with the passengers. They lose their lives,

Or rescued go their way; but he's no man

To take his trick at the wheel again. That's worse

Than drowning. Well, a galled Mashobra mule

(You'll see Mashobra) passed me on the Mall,

And I was—some fool's wife had ducked and bowed

To show the others I would stop and speak.

Then the mule fell—three galls, a hand-breadth each,

Behind the withers. Mrs. Whatsisname

Leers at the mule and me by turns, thweet thoul!

"How could they make him carry such a load!"

I saw—it isn't often I dream dreams—

More than the mule that minute—smoke and flame

From Simla to the haze below. That's weak.

You're younger. You'll dream dreams before you've done.

You've youth, that's one; good workmen—that means two

Fair chances in your favour. Fate's the third.

I know what I did. Do you ask me, "Preach?"

I answer by my past or else go back

To platitudes of rule—or take you thus

In confidence and say:—"You know the trick:

"You've governed Canada. You know.  You know!"

And all the while commend you to Fate's hand

(Here at the top one loses sight o' God),

Commend you, then, to something more than you—

The Other People's blunders and ... that's all.

I'd agonise to serve you if I could.

It's in communicable, like the cast

That drops the hackle and gut adry.

Too much—too little—there's your salmon lost!

And so I tell you nothing—wish you luck,

And wonder—how I wonder!—for your sake!

And triumph for my own. You're young, you're young,