The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-26
Pleasant Picture of the Author
In COnValescence.
is BETTER EVERY DAY
He Rides In a Wheel Chair and
Carriage
In the Sunshine Through Piney
Woods.

Lakewood, N. J., April "a small,
square built man with firm chin, a
black stubby mustache, a pair Of
searching eyes, a pa1lor and thinness
of cheek that tell of long weeks in a
sick room and a restfu1 posture in a
rubber-tired wheel chair with tightly
buttoned light top coat barely hiding
the muffler about the throat to ward off
the suggestion of chill in the morning
air, and you have one picture of Rud-
yard Kipling in Lakewood. BY the in
valid's side, chatting or in silence, and
following with her eyes the pointings
of the knotted stick carried by the man
in the chair, walks Mrs. Kipling, plain
ly showing in her face full content with
her husbands present stage OF con-
valescence
The propulsive power behind the
chair is a tall, dark-visaged man in
golfing regalia. This is Frank N. Dou-
bleday, the publisher of Kipling's writ
ings. Lakewood always has it's inter
esting personages, but Kipling just now
is the observed Of all observers wheth-
er in the hotel or out of doors. The
glances of admiration or curiosity are
all one to this inscrutable man. He
sees and apparently enjoys everything.
If you meet him and look him in the
timation that he is aware of your ex-
istence.
Since coming to Lakewood Mr.. Kip
ling has made rapid gains in strength,
and though he is going carefully he
is handling himself more inpendent1y
each successive day. On Tuesday aft
ernoon he was carried into the hotel
and had dinner served in his apart
ment. Last night he was seen with
his party in the lobby, hands deep in
pockets, walking easily and slowly, en-
tirely unassiSted and in the best of
spirits. This is a pretty fair record for
three days of conValescence. Reports
which come from his rooms to the Of
flee tell only of healthy fatigue after
exercise, a good appetite and relish for
food and sound sleep at night. Since
his first day at the Laurel House he
has come down regularly to his meals,
the roomy private dining room of the
hotel having been placed at his dis
posal. A couch has been placed in the
room. Mr.. Kiplng remarked pleasant
ly that now he could eat until he was
tired and then rest.
During the first day or two of his
stay here he kept his room closely, on
ly leaving it to take outdoor exercise,
but now he comes down more and more
frequently to the public rooms, where
he neither avoids nor invites the at
tention of those about him. The billiard
room seems to be a favorite spot for
him, the cause of the liking undoubted
paintings exhibited there by a visiting
artist. The daily programme of the
Kiplings is seldom varied. Their break
fast is at the regular hour, and thu in
valid is under little if any restriction
as to diet. A short smoke follows the
breakfast, and then the wheel chair is
taken out and the party starts for a
morning visit to the children and an
airing of an hour or more along the
sidewalks of sunny streets and ave-
nues. The children, Elsie and John,
with their governess and nurse, are at
the Hovey cottage on Madison avenue,
near the lakes, where they have a
broad carpet of velvety lawn on which
to romp. After the return from the
outing to the hotel apartments there is
a little reading and resting until din
ner and somewhere about 2:30 to
o'clock the easy-running victoria re-
ceives the party for a drive of an hour
or more. Whether the route is to Ca
thedral park, around the lakes to Gem
etery Hill, or in any of a dozen or more
the roads are hard and
smooth, the air fresh and daintlly
scented with the odOr of arbutus, and
the pine land on either hand carpeted
with brown needles, with an occasional
tuft of pixie moss and woodland green,
and all conditions confirming the pro-
position that it is good to be alive.