The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-22
KIPLING'S HOME.
DweIls in the Quaint Old Village
Of rockingham
Located on the Chalk Cliffs of
English Channel.
LIVES AS HE LIKES.
Retiring in His Habits He
Avoids Society.
A FavOrits Haunt is ssThe Black
Horse Tavern"
fFrom the washington start

been the home OF more than one celeb
rity, despite it's remoteness. but to-day,
being the home of the man who wrote
1.-THE Recessional," it is distinguished
almost solely as "Kiplings village"
Away back, thousands of years ago,
nature cut a crease in the long cliff
which marks the termination of the
South Downs of England. The crease
has been broadened by the elements I'M
til it is large enough to hold Rotting-
dean-almost, but not quite, for a few
houses have been crowded out and
stand on the abrupt slope of the hills.
At the mouth of the crease the cliffs
have fallen away enough to form a
little basin on the shores of which the
waves of the English channel break
ceaselessly. Gently they break IN
summer. but in winter they dash
against the great chalk cliff with such
fury that tons of it are yearly washed
away And, at times, the tide forces
its way far enough to leave foaming
back water at the foot of the main
road.
It must have been a long time ago
that Kipling'S village was followed out,
for the little stone church in the place
was begun over 500 years ago. It stands
across the way from Kipings mouse
and is one of the most interesting spots
in a place where nearly every stone has
it's history and where the lover of the
quaint can find something tC admire at
every turn
REMINDERS OF OLD TIMES.
The walls which surround the dwell
lings are reminders of the troublous
times in Sussex, when every mans
house was indeed his castle. These
walls protected the lives of many of the
original inhabitants from the pixies and
swords of mailed freebooters. History
records more than one conf1lct IN the
little hamlet between vaSsa1s OF OPP
posing lords, and mayhap kipling Will
one day give the world a tale based on
some of the legendary scraps one Stlll
hears in the neighborhood. The stones
in the walls were taken from the peach
and are rounded and polished by the
action of the waves. Many of them are
of flint. They are set in regular rows
with a precision that would make
modern bricklayer nervous. me bulld-
ers knew well the secret of compound
ing cement. for the walls still holt to-
gether as compactly as If cut out OF
blocks of solid material Arches were
left for heavily ironed gates, mostly or
oak and fastened by ponderous polts
or locks with hugh keys.
OF such pattern is the side gate to
Kipling' house-the one commonly USED.
The double entrance in front, 1t is sup
posed, was made to allow troop OF
horses to enter if necessary when the
owner needed the protection OF ms
friends. But to pass from the romantic
past to the commonplace present, IL
must be admitted that the broken glass
which now is strewn along most OF the
walls is intended as a protectlon
against the modern small hoy instead
of the knight or n-at-arpls, FOR the
boy well knows the taste OF the trult
in the Nottingham gardens and only
the glass prevents many an attack on
their treasures. Flowers as well as
fruit are to be found in the Kipling
yard and garden, in the season, while
one so fortunate as to get beyond the
walls will see many bed or artlStlc
corner the pride of the gardener.
A QUAINT OLD HOUSE.
The Kipling home remains nearly as
when built hundreds of years ago, with
it's small windows, high roof, now much
the worse for wear, and its antique en-
trance. The bell connecting the front
gate with the house is, perhaps, the
principal innovation About the place
is an air of carelessness generally at
tributed to literary people a great
gap shows in the rear part OF the wall
1t was there a century before Tue pre-
ent owner was born. the interior OF
the house is dark and gloomy except
two or three rooms on the second moor
The huge wall is Overhung by grove
of trees which keeps out much OF the
daylight from the parlor and dining
room. while the stable at one corner
and the cowshed at the other further
obstruct the light.
Some of the furniture is antique, as,
for instance, a beautifully carved ma ma
hopanv table and sideboard- But the
author has installed in his English
home many articles of American MAKE
which seem painfully modern TO some
Y,ersons stuffed leather easy chalr
and long library table Uttered about
with writing material, ashes, pipes ami
a big lar of tobacco, show that the Jun
gle story man is one OF us after all
The study is very mannlSn III appear
~, fp5 low the author NAV
look across the way into St Margaret
pretty church yard. Just outside the
portal is the resting place OF Wliuanh
Black. No stone is needed TO designate
the place Simple dooryard mowers II. NJ
orally cover it in season, and every VII
lager as we'll as the city stranger knows
its Iocalitv From the other window IN
the Kipling study, which occupies cor
ner of the house, the author may see
the village green" an irregular trian-
gle of ground, across which equeStrlans
and pedestrians are so prone to take
short cuts that there is little green
about it save in name OpposlIe tne
Kipling house live the Hon. Burne
Joneses'' as the villagers call them.
THE GRAVELLY BEACH.
It's but five minutes through Kip
1iness village to the spot where the
channel waves rise and fall. They call
it the beach, but it is mere mass OF
The Kipling children long ago desert
ed the village green for the beach and
Noank. Noank is a Nottingham eele-
brity He has lived here all his ife-60
odd wears; but his claim to fame is that
he is a great friend of Kipling and the
Kipling children. particularly Wee
Willy Winkle'' Imagine John Bull as
drawn by q modern artist. put an old
straw hat on him and you have Noank-
In summer he hires out boats and bath
ing cars. In the winter he enjoys him
self rruch of the time at the Black
Horse tavern over a tankard of
" 'alf and aft talking politics or ex-
changing gossip with mine host. Noank
has read most of the Kipling stories. but
he doesn't think much of the Indian