The Indianapolis journal., 1899-02-27
NEAR THE END.
lConcluded from First pagel

AEsA
about his face are half-sad, half-quizzieal
mendous depth of jaw from the chin to
the top of the throat.
At the next course conversation is re-
sumed. 1t is to discuss the endless theme
of English idiom as she exists all over the
world. Kipling gives one instance after
another of peculiar phrases that are used
alike in Australia and in the United States
which, after all, is pot surprising, as both
were colonized fr0fn England, and from
there we branch off to the topic. that is
next to kin to this one, the difference be-
tween spelling and pronunciation OF proper
names.
Kipling told-and told very well-the story
Of the American girl who insisted upon it
that the Queen lived at a place called
Winkle, and justified 1t by saying that if
Majorbanks and Ruthven and Beauchamp
spelled Marchbanks and Rivven, then Wind
sor Castle must spell Wrinkle. 1t was just
here that l discovered that kipl1ng has
been libeled as to his dislike of Americans.
Whenever people here initiate us to ridicule
us they talk through their noses; this is
what he did not do Instead he gave that
soft, sliding intonation, where even a word
of only one syllable begins on one note and
ends on another. 1t is quite as character
istic of us, and Kipling's choice as to which
of our two marked peculiaritteS he should
reproduce showed plainly that while he is
not blind to our traits he sees them from
a more friendly point of view than has
been generally assigned to him.
Still keeping to the subject of curiosties
of pronunciation, / happened to say that
we did not have to come TO England for
that sort of thing, that | know of road
in Virginia spelled Enroughty and pro-
nounced Darby.
Kiplng put down his fork, held out his
hand and said impressively: Miss Hay
ward you have simply saved my reputation
by telling that. 1t is my best smoking
room story did not know that smoking
ogiZed), land you are the first man, woman
or child / ever met who could back me up
''I'll be the second" said the general
land I'll tell you now. 1t cost us battle,
too, during the war. During an engagement
General Lee gave one of his aids an order
will find on the Darby road Very we'll
sir, said the aid. and galloped off to spend
gsh of ods the 6ay bT oye all e
find lettered upon them was Enroughty."
well, I'm blessed" said Kipling; but
however did they come TO call 1t Darby in
You see, the Darbys We're a good old
English family that had settled In virginia
In old colonial days One of the sons turned
out sort of black sheep, and he was left
his share of his fathers property on condi-
tion that he would change his name. The
name, nor the property, either, so he ar
ranged 1t by changing the name to En-
roughty-to be pronounced Darby
II think I'll change my name to Smith ="
said Kipling, musingly
You can spell 1t Smith all you like" I
said but your name WILL VIII always wa iooG be pro-
-
unanectedly pleased as a boy.
Then we drifted off TO talk or books
pretty much, / suppose, as people who live
In an observatory must occasionally drop
into conversation on the weather. From
books TO childrens books Kiplng said there
were so few Of them because there We're so
few real children nowadays, from children
10 their discipline and education and Kip
lings ideas seemed Ito the spinster aunt Of
many nephews) TO be both beautiful ana
practical.
Then ne told me the idea he had In mind
for pair of stories, which you would, or
course, like me 10 repeat and which, OF
course, i Will not, and In gratitude for this
mark Of confidence | told him about the
recruiting sergeant in Trafalgar square,
went out 10 look at the first big fog that
had arrived IN London after | had, and got
promptly lost, and entirely turned around In
Trafalgar square. Finally saw something
red, which proved not 10 be letter box,
but soldier I'm uniform, so i asked him 10
get me out OF the square and Into bus.
He was nearly as much az sea as |. and we
wandered around and bumped against house
corners, and fetched up against stone lions
and the like for some time, meanwhile dis
cussing the modern equivalent OF Shak-
speare and the musical glasses. happened
10 meption Kipling. whereon Mr.. Atkins not
only quoted him at length and breadth. but
proceeded 10 criticise him. lie said people
might say as how Ikipltng was ton and