The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-15

my twisted card in his hand and said In
short, choppy voice;
Um-what Il / am? l don't know you
Did you send me this card?'
at admitted the soft impeachment
ct am just after being hurtled down
here by my city editor to find out what
you think about the world, the flesh and
the devil l said. Go ahead. Let's have
ii. Cough up. Any old thing you say will
do
"KipHng's rugged countenance was mo-
mentariIy crossed by a very boyish, fetch
ing grin.
You're pretty cheeky sort, aren't
your he inquired, not quite so choppily as
he had spoken before What does your
blasted city editor or anybody else suppose
that l know about the devil, the flesh or
the world? I'm only six-and-twenty-ak kid;
a kid in England, at any rate, where pre-
cocity, instead of being at premium, as
il seems to be over here, Is a social vice.
"The world the flesh and the devll?'
Haven't you got any hoary patrlarchs here,
to whom you can put that question:
'Sfews of EN- l replied. But they
haven't written books about the doings of
MulVaney. Ortherls and Learoyd. That
stuff of yours is pretty good-that is, II
isn't half bad. You're of the improving
sort think, and you'll probably do some
very decent work later on, when you get
next to yourself
"Klpling took Off his spectacles, wiped
them with his pocket handkerchief. read
justed them and looked me through for full
ly a minute before he spoke.
II say he said then, you're a con-
founded impertinent sort Of cove aren I
you? What the deuce do you mean? It's
solacing to run across a man who's devils
ed of pure gall-its novel. / mean. What
do you want me to say?
How do you like what you've seen OF
this country, anyhow / asked him to
make a switch in the line of talk.
I like it in spots he replied. What
difference does IL make whether / like 1t
or not?
Lots i said. We want 10 be approx
ed We strive TO please. We desire to be
patted ON the back. Go on and pat us on
the back some IN take It down in short
hand
II wish you'd go away and let me
alone said Kipling.
" IF l was working for a salary, instead
of writing on space, I'd oblige you, for
this isn't any fun for me, said / Tell me
some things about American soldiers,
what you've seen of them.
They're a blooming fine lot, your sol
dlers are, said Kipllng, looking interested
horse outfits especially. I've visited about
a dozen posts, and I'd like to have spent
a month at each of 'em. / imagine IL
must be fine work, soldering down there
in Arizona.
Nice work said /. I often long to be
back at old San Carlos. i put In three
years as a buck private ia one of the
troops down there.
"Well, that's how ] got Kipling-because
a.
that interests Kipllng more than another
It's soldering. His homely phiz lit up
when / mentioned that soldering incident
i'm my tumultuous career, and for three
quarters of an hour he sat there IN the
window front of the Hotel Richelleu and
talked over the military end of II in a
clever, luminous, sketchy way that was
full OF meat. He told me all about the
American military posts he had visited,
comparing our soldiers with the men who
compose the British outfits, and-welI It
made over two columns of tip-top stuff
When / rose to take my leave of Kipling
/ said:
Now, don't forget-whenever you write
something that you think Is really good
lust send me along a batch of advance
proofs and I'll give you a stick or two of
a notice in my paper, If ] approve of the
stuff and consider IL up to the mark
"Kiplng simply glared at me amusedly
out OF his shrewd eyes. said something
that sounded like 'Impudent whelpp and
| went away to write my interview"