The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-12-24

His Powers Tested In the Indian
Tread Mil.

II
n ksy koiinsSn sas the editor II "a.
Civil and Military Castle u iahots
sh-n NJ. hirl,nF sss - - s'ar. ~
monly hard labor for the few Ensllshmen
Who Constitute an editorial stan. and
vita the greatest dislike II aslhg . fasos
10 cut stinisionos. ! could mol help bur.
dsnins kipllnx With . good deal II daily
dfndsery, Ny experience 81 him a. =
Newspaper hack suggests. however. that
u yon want 10 ind man who will cheer
fully do the ONCE work u three men, you
should catch a young genius. Like =
hlooi horse between the shafts oi a coal
Wagon be may 50 near 20 bursting he
heart in tho effort. but he'll drag that
wagon along as u ought 10 50, The
amount oi siuh that kiplins sol through
IN day was indeed wonderfully and
assistants after he left. the staff grew
that morc salid work Was done in that Of,
iloe when kipling and I worked together
than ever before or after. There Was one
peeulianly oi kipling's work which l
really must mention-nameiy, tho enors
nous amount Of ink he used 10 throw
about.
In the heat Of summer white cotton
Trousers and q thin yest constituted his
office attire, and by the days end he was
spotted all over like Dalmaiian dog
lie had a habit Of dipping his pen frv,
quenily and deep into the ink pot. and
as all his movements were abrupt, almost
jcrky, the ink used 10 iy.
When be dAried into my room "a he
used 10 do about one thing or another in
connection with the paper a dozen times
In the morning, ] had 10 shout TO him 10
stand of, otherwise az ] knew BY ex.
perience, the abrupt halt ne would make,
and the flourish with which he placed the
proof IN his hand before me, would send
the peniul Of ink-he always had inll
pen in his hana-iiying over me.
lie was always the best Of company,
oubbling over with delightful hsmor, |
which found vent in every detail OF our
DAVIS work together; and the chance Wis. |
itor 10 the editors Office must often have |
carried away very erroneous notions OF 4
the amount Of work which was being
done when he found US in the fits OF |
laughter that usually accompanied our
about the makeup OF the
paper.
This is my chief recollection Of Kip.
ling as assistant and companion; and ]
would place sensitiyeness as his second
Although a master Of
for instance. he dreaded dining
It the club, where there was a resident
member, since dead, who disliked him,
md was always endeayoring to snub him.
kiplings retorts invariably turned tne
ables on his assailant, and set us all in a
oar; and, besides, this, Kipling was popu.
ar in the club, while his enemy was not.
Under such circumstances an ordinary
nan would have courted the combat and
njoyed provoking his clumsy opponent;
'ut the mans animosity hurt kipling,
nd j knew that he often. TO avoid the
rdeal, dined in solitude at home when
e would infinitely have preferred dining
I the club, but / could never persuade
i'm of the folly OF doing so.
Apart from his marvellous faculty for
Stimulating local color without apparent
fort Kipling neglected no chance. and
pared no labor. in acquiring experience ,
hat might serve a literary purpose. OF
he various races OF India. whom the ordi- :
airy Englishman Jumps together as ma.
ives, Kipling knew the quaintest details 4
habits and language and distinctive s
avs. of thought. i remember well one !.
Pathan. indescribably filthy, =
Ut with magnificent mien and features I
Iahbab Ali, ! think, was his name-who
'garded kipling as a man apart from all
her 'sahibs. After each of his wander
gs across the unexplored fringes of AZ
where his restless spirit of adj
,nture led him, Mahbab Ali always used
, turn up, travel-stained, dirtier and
ore majestic than ever, for confidential
,lloquy with 'Kuppeling Sahib, his
riend'; and | more than fancy that to
ahbab Ali Kipling owed the wonderful
cal color which he was able to put into
ch tales as Dray Wara Vow Dee and
he Man Who Would BE King.-London
slegraph.