The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-22

talk by the hour with Yankee visitor
about the brave fisherman of the banks.
For NoanlS, when younger, did quite a
bit of channel fishing himself.
Go down to the beach almost any
pleasant morning in spring or summer
and you will likely find KipIing sprawl
ed on the gravel talking with his own
or a half dozen of the village children
playing about while nearby will be
Noank, sitting on the edge of boat,
all ears and eyes.
THE AUTHORS DIVERSIONS. =
Strolling on the beach is one of Kip
hng's main recreatiOns. If the children
or any one with him will make a fort
he will join in trying to knock it down.
but he won't worry over the building of
it. Indeed, every one takes a hand at
destroying the forts the children rear
Kipling, the children the ladies of the
Burne-Jones family and sometimes
even Mrs. k1p1ng.
Kipling does not shoot, seldom takes
a surf bath, cares nothing Tor fishing
He occasionally plays lawn tennis, for
about one game, but takes no interest
in cricket When not working he sim
ply loafs. He dislikes attention and pos
itively breads the notice of strangers.
Perhaps this one reason he selected a
home so strongly fortified, and why he
generally is cOnspicuouSly absent from
church. He feel i'll at ease except when
among his few chosen friends or with
children. Children takeeto him as natu-
rally as if he were the father of the
whole village. He dislikes to get up
until late in the morning and his ir-
regular hours sometimes vex his active,
sunny little wife, who is fond of regu-
larity.
To see the famous writer sauntering
along one of the streets of "KipIing's
village" you would mistake the man
every time. AS he walks he sometimes
tries to hum tune, but he has little
perception of melody and, as one of his
friends says, when Kipling tries to
sing he buzzes."
THE KIPLING CHILDREN.
The two Kipling children are thin.
piercing black eyes. They do not care
much for other children. When their
sister was alive, the three "hocked by
themselves" so to speak and managed
to get their share of amusement and
pleasure, even though somewhat exclu-
sive. In features they resemble their
mother more than their father, al
though the Kipling part of the family is
very perceptible, especially in their
ShyneSS when strangers are present.
Occasionally you may see Kipling
walking along the cliff, looking at the
water nearly a hundred feet below, or
sitting on the turf at the edge of the
precipice. But this is only occasionally.
He cares little about driving and will
not exert himself to ride a bicycle. The
limit of his walk is generally 1.-The
Black Horse tavern"
1t and it's landlord are very much in
favor with KipIing. Sometimes of an
evening in winter one will find the au-
thor and the landlord and possibly
Noank in the coy dining room before
the big glowing fire, each with his glass
and pipe. The landlord does most of
the talking and his guest the most of
the listening. The subjects cover a de-
cidedly wide range, but usually end in
a discussion of politics. The landlord
is an extreme radical, while Kipling
leans to the conservative side. They
will get into an argument of half an
hour, the landlord growing quite hot,
while even Kipling will become much
wrought up. Then glasses are drained,
the guest departs and perhaps by the
time he reaches his gate has forgotten
all that was said or even where he has
been.