The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-18
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. DECEMBER H. 1895

painfully made aware of the fact. as the
cane and the birch are still important fac
tors in English public" school discipline.
When a looking glass first engages the
serious attention of a youth, some what
ludicrous devotion 10 the wardrobe is Of
ten the result. In that respect, Kipling and
his two particular chums inclined toward
the Bohemian. until they perceived in the
opposite extreme a chance to enact a good
part, which, for the time being. afforded
their companions no little amusement.
AT the United Service College it happened
that there was a certain classical master
VINO had developed a profound aversion TO
anything approaching foppishness, and to
whom fancy waiscoats, sporting scarfpins
and silk handkerchiefs were an abOmina-
ton second only to what was termed the
modern" side of the school.
Having sport With the Masters.
To such an extent did this master carry
his discrimination in the matter of
clothes that those attending his classes or
coming more particularly under his juris-
diction, who evinced the least tendency to
style were promptly made the butts of
his most whitening sarcasm, and were even
occasionally peremptorily ordered not to
appear again in his presence wearing con-
splcuousiy offensive garments Now Kip
ling and his two chums in the course Of
promotion at length found themselves
brought into daily contact with this mas
ter, and having duly made note of his SUI
preme aversion they proceeded to sttmu-
late il after their own fashion. SO it
shortly came to be noticed that the Kip
ling trio were putting on "style"-a fact
that the master in question noticed also,
but concerning which ne contented himself
with scornful remarks until shilling hot
tie of over-powering perfume was the d-
direct cause of an explosion of wrath of
the class room windows being thrown wide
open one cold winter morning, and OF
something besides invectives being hurled
at the offenders heads.
In spite of this emphatic rebuff, Kip
ling and his chums continued their efforts
TO approach the extreme hight of fashion,
borrowing such likely garments as they
did not themselves possess. and choosing
Sunday as the day on which to make a
brave display of their personal adornments,
for the three sat close to the classical mas
ter in church. Again, fer a time, the mas
ter confined himself to sneering remarks;
but three pairs of light, cloth-topped pat
ent leather shoes brought the matter to a
climax.
on the particular Sunday when the
shoes were first worn, the classical mas
ter quickly spied them out, and having
beckoned the three youths before him,
pointed to the Objectionable articles and
desired to be Informed as to their precise
nature.
which things, SIR" asked Kipling,
following with his gaze the direction in
dicated by the classical masters forefin
ger, and wonderngly surveying the floor
as if he expected to behold some strange
insects crawling there. Which things,
sir?"
Those things" emphatically replied the
master, pointing to Kipling's feet.
MY feet, sir?" asked Kiping, as if he
were still in doubt as to the masters
exact meaning.
mo, the vile things you've got on Them
angrily explained the former. GO and
take them off at once. At once! Dyou
understand me?"
Whereupon the Kipling trio Invested
themselves of the beautiful shoes, and
the classical master posted a house no
tice to the effect that patent leather shoes
among other enumerated "foppish" artt-
cles of dress were henceforth strictly pro-
hibted. AS if in despair at the sweeping
nature of this edict the Kiplng trio inn
mediately reverted to the other extreme,
and the next Sunday appeared at the
church callover as if they had slept In
their best clothes over night, with only
their shoes so wonderfully polished that
the classical master first mistoolz them
for the contraband patent feathers.
On closer inspection, however, being
satisfied that his surmise was incorrect,
and perhaps regarding the trios dishev-
elled appearance, as, for once, a backward
step in the right direction, he merely rec
commended a vigorous application of the
brush, and unsuspecungly permitted them
to go on their way 10 church.
1t was not long after the service had
commenced before every one in the vlcin-
ity of the Kipling trio became conscious
of a most pungent and sickenng odor of
backing, the classical master who sat
next to Kipling, being the first. of course,
to sniff the air with suspicion. But as
the church warmed up the smell became
so altogether unbearable that the classical
master, casting a look of supreme disgust
upon the remarkably devout and appar-
entity quite innocent youths at his side,
hurriedly rose from his seat and sought
refuge in another part of the church.
Then, as the other boys near by
crammed their haudkerchiefs into their
mouths to suppress explosions Of laugh
ter, a merry twinkle beamed out through
Gigs enormous spectacles 1t was gen
orally thought that the three would meet
with a swift and terrible punishment; but
the classical master, for some reason, de-
cided to hold his peace and thereafter
permitted the edict regarding fopplshness
to fall into allegiance.
Michael Clifford White.
Prof Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, the