The Portland daily press., 1899-04-01
KIPLlNG AND HIS FAMILY.
some Things said about Him by a
Friend.

(From the Chicago Times Herald.)
Dear little, bright little, happy littls
"kiddie" Kipling is dead, for Riddle"
it always was In her fathers household.
and the formal Josephine" belongs to
that outer world which reads of the child
in the newspapers. or who, ,perohance,
may write her name on marble shaft
"Kiddie' Kipling was her fathers pet
his intimate companion, for his love of
children is characteristic in its reality
For her the Jungle Books" were begun
and written. Because she babbled OF
what the horses talked to each other,
1.-THE Walking Delegate came to be a
strong story In itself. Dear little kiddie,
with her big eyes and gentle ways, too
pretty by far to look like her father;
much prettier by far than her brunette
mother. Elsie, the second child, resem-
bles Riddle somewhat, but John, the boy,
is big. restless. turbulent fellow, who.
by the size and the force OF him, makes
strangers think he must be much the
senior of the gentle little Elsie
Little Josephine kipling was beauti-
full child, yet no one could possibly ac-
cuse either of her parerts of beauty.
Kipling himself is short and round shout
dered with keen, alert lace. strong as to
nose and chin. but q long way from being
handsome His prevailing expression Is
one of sympathetic keenness. he is not
fond OF show, and he dresses badly. But
ne Is alert to every influence, and nothing
passes his observation which. perhaps, is
the foundation stone of his success.
Mrs. Kipling is very dark. and in her
girlhood and early married life possessed
o certain bird-like vivacity which was
charming. People hays often criticised
Der as dull. but that Is not fair. Still
who is ever fair to the consort of u genius
1t is undeniable that she talked we'll, and
was quite able to keep up Ter end Of cur
rent conversation brightly and interesting
Iy. Perhaps she was never woman who
exactly did things" She did not play
or sing or draw, but she Is a woman
whose children are always we'll kept, and
her mouse ever exoellently appointed. or
late years she has lost much of her vivac-
ity and figure. She looks older THAN she
Is, older tnan he. and thoIe hard years of
ne n snapper work In India knocked the
youth out of Kipling pretty we'll, so that
one does not realize how early his reward
has come to him until one hunts up the
record of his birth.
There has been great deal said in
speculation about his trip to America az
this time of the year. lie did not come
here to seek fair weather, no knew bettar
| than to expect that in February, hut he
did want to escape from the English
| climate for while. and Mrs, kipling
wanted to see her "folks'' in Vermont.
| for though one brother has haras SEQ them
the Kiplings are very fond OF the rest OF
| the family, and ara on excellent terms
with them. Then it was his plan that he
might run down to Mexico and back In
| aide of six weeks. Alack and alas for
planning!
A great mistake Is made when 1T Is
supposed that kipling feels unfriendIy
| toward Americans. de carue here a
young, enthusiastic man, he wrote or
every thing as he found 1t, ami in free,
flowing, virile language. We resented
| criticism, be 1t ever SO honest, and the
press of the country poured forth its walls
| of wrath upon him. he came to the con
clusion that America hated him, and a
residence in rural Vermont was not cal
| oulated to utterly overthrow that impres-
| sion-Vermont, where people still nght
the battles OF the revolution ana expsct
| to see each Britisher come over the bills
| with line Of Hessians behind him.
"The White Mans Burden is not a
new idea. 1t came to Kipling at the
time of our Venezuelan difficulties, be-
cause he felt, with that Characteristic
Intensity of HE, that our strength WAS
| linked indissolubly with tho Anglo-Sax-
on, and the southern Spanish OF America
wsre none of our kin. Friends OF his
urged him to write the ode then, but he
could not. 1.-The American peopls don't
like me, and don't want any OF MY
preaching" he would say diseonsolately
and with the rivers OF criticism which
were then pouring in upon him 1t was
difficult TO deny the force of his remark.
] Dr. Buirs ongh syrup viii cure a cough
4 In Aat N 10 at md ult