Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-15

Meet Popular Author
Rudyard Kipling, the "Revealer Of
the East" as he has been called; the
discoverer of Tommy Atkins, the dis
coverer and revealer of the secret life
Of the jungle and among men the
most popular English writer now liv-
ing, was oorn in Bombay, India, de-
cember 20, 1865. He is the son of MIR.
John Lockwood kipling, {. |. E., an
Anglo-lndian of considerable reputa-
ton both as an artist and an author,
who for "A number of years was the
principal of the School of Industrial
Art at Lahore. Both on his fathers
and on his mothers side Mr.. kiplins,
as the phrase is, comes by his gen
iOus honestly, for his family is assoc
ciated either directly or indirectly
with both art and literature in many
ways. Two of his uncles are among
the most distinguished artists OF
modern times-Sir Edward John
poynter, the present president Of the
Royal Academy of England, and Sir
Edward Burne-Jones, the famous
pre-Raphaelte, recently deceased. 1t
is said, too, that another of his UNI
cles enjoyed in his day reputation
for racy and humorous poems that
were not unlike the "Ditties' of the
nephew that are now so famous, ar
though they had nothing more than
local publicity. And both his moth
er and his sister, as well as his faith
er, have literary and artistic ability.
Indeed, father, mother, son and
daughter had won distinguished
reputation in India, not only individ-
ually but collectively as the quar-
tet,' before the son won his world
wide fame. 1t is said that when Kip
ling published his first book the ded-
ication that he inscribed in it, ITO
the wittiest woman in India was in.
tended to apply to his mother. As
further illustration of the clever
ness of the family it may be said that
his sister (who, it may be remarked
in passing. is woman of exceptional
beauty) has so excellent memory
for literary productions that there Is
not a single line in any one Of
Shakespeare's plays which she can
not quote at will.
Kipling, like most sons of Anglo>
Indians, was sent home to England
to be educated. The school which he
was placed in was "The United Ser
vice college" situated at Northam,
in Devon county, near the Bristol
channel. 1t was military school.
Most of the boys were intended to be
soldiers Tor sailors) and the disci-
pline OF the place was severe. But
young Kiplng seems to have liked
the school and to have thriven well
in it. Every sort of manly and ath-
letic sport was encouraged by its
teachers. The environment, too, OF
the school was perpetual Indictment
to manly endeavor. for it was the
country of John Rid of Lorna
Doone," and Amyas Leigh of WEST
ward Ho;" the country, too, Of
Drake and Hawkins and Sir Walter
Raleigh and Sir Richard Grenyille.
Young Kipling participated in all the
outdoor life of the place and in cricR-
ct, football, golf, swimming, fencing
and single-stick could hold his own
with any one. Not boy in the school
but could do his quarter-mile in swim
ming, and their golf links were the
best in England, Their special game,
however, was football and their foot
ball team was the best in the coun-
try. And when the team came home
at night after a victory the whole
school would break out with;
ITS way we have in the army,
It's a way we have in the navy,
It's a way we have in the public
schools,
Which nobody can deny"
No wonder that Mr.. Kpling has al
ways had fondness for rollicking
choruses. Young Kipling was also a
leader on the other side of the school
life. He stood well in his classes. and
was, indeed. one of the first three
boys of the school Besides he was
the editor of the school paper. But
after all, when he left school he did
not enter the army. When he got
back to Lahore he was in his nine
teenth year and, apparently, it SEEM
ed best that he should at once take
upon himself the earning of his own
livelihood. So, opportunity offering,
he entered the office of newspaper
published at Lahore. The Civil and
Military Gazette, the leading paper In
that part of India. His duties were
multifarlons and arduous. He was
eup-eullor, PROOF reader, reporter
and general editorial assistant
Mr.. Kiplng has always been reti-
cent as to the details Of his personal
history. Like many authors-Austin
Dobson, for example-he declines to
be interviewed when ! have any,
thing to say" he once told a would-be
interviewer, 81 write it out and sell
it. My brains are my own" He can
hardly be blamed for this, for when
he does write out anything" dealing
with his own life he infuses into it SO
much liveliness of imaginative i'm
preston and observation that 1t be-
comes good literature. In his. tales
and sketches and especially in his
newspaper correspondence he has
given the world a good deal Of per-
! Gnnal aypariannn md x,at IA T..