The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-14
"KIPLING'S VILLAGE"
QUAINT ENVIRONMENT OF THE
WRITER'S ENGLISH HOME.

Ancient and Typical sussex Hamlet.
kipiinS's Prekcnt Dwelling IL
Queer and Crazy ola Structure.
The Children of the Family, the
Beach Whe re They Delight to
Play and Noank, Their Faithful
Friend - KipIing's Ways Among
His Neighbors.
Copyright 1900 bs- the Author)
Nottingham is one Of the quaintest VII
lagos in all England In its time it has
been the home Of more than one celebrity
despite its remoteness. but to-day, being
the nome of the man who wrote The Re
cessional," it is distinguished almost
solely as ''Kipling's village"
Away back. thousands Of years ago, ma
ture cut crease in the long cliff which
marks the termination of the Sou,
Downs of England. The crease has been
broadened by the elesnents until it is large
enough to hold Rotungdean-almost but
not quite, for a few houses have b en-
crowded Out apd stand on the abrup-
slope of the hills Al the mouth of thu
crease the cliffs have fallen away enough
to form a Ettle 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 1t are yearly washed away. And
at times. the tide forces It's way FAR
enough to leave foaming back water at
the foot of the main road
1t must have been long time go that
y;..ii, IL.
the little stone church in The place was
begun over 500 years ago. II stands across
the way from Kipling's house and is one
of the most interesting spots in place
| where nearly every stone has its history
and where the lover of the quaint can
find something TO admire at every turn
The walls which surround the dwellings
are reminders of the troublous times in
Sussex when every mans house was in
deed his castle These walls protected
| the lives of many of the original inhab
itants from the pixies and swords of mail
| ed freebooters. History records more
than one conflict in the little hamlet be-
| tween vassals of opposing lords. and ma
hap Kipling will one day give the world a
tale based on some of the legendary scraps
one still hears in the neighborhood. The
| stones in the walls were taken from the
| beach, and are rounded and polished by
the action of the waves. Many of them
|
with a precision that would make a mod
ern bricklayer nervous. The builders
knew well the secret of compromising ce-
ment for the walls still hold together as
| compactly as if cut out of blocks of solid
material Arches were left for heavily
| ironed gates, mostly of oak and fastened
by ponderops bolts or locks with huge
keys
Kipling's Quaint Old House.
Of such a pattern is the side gate to
| Kipling's house-the one commonly used
| The double entrance in front, it is sup
posed, was made to allow troop of horses
to enter if necessary when the owner
| needed the protection of his friends. But
| to pass from the romantic past to the
commonplace present, it must be admit
| ted that the broken glass which now is
strewn along most of the walls is intend
ed as a protection against the modern
| small boy instead of the knight or man
alarms for the boy well knows the taste
of the fruit in the Nottingham gardens
and only the grass prevents many at
tack 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 a bed or artistic corner, the
pride of the gardener.
The Kipng home remains nearly as
when built hundreds of years ago, with its
small windows high roof, now much the
worse for wear, and Its antique entrance.
| The bell connecting the front gate with the
house is perhaps the principal innovation.
| About the place is the air of carelesSnesS
generally attributed to literary people. A
great gap shows in the rear part of the
wall 1t was there a century before the
present owner was born. The interior
of the house is dark and gloomy except
two or three rooms on the second floor.
The huge wall is overhung by grove of
trees which keeps out much of the day
light 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 mahogany
able and sdeboard. But the author has
Installed in his English home many articles
of American make which seem painfully
modern to some persons A stuffed
leather easy chair and a long library Ia
BILE Uttered about with writing material,
ashes, pipes and big jar of tobacco
show that the jungle story man is one of
us after ALL The study Is very mannish