Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 149, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1912 — Kipling’s New English Home [ARTICLE]

Kipling’s New English Home

Quiet Town of Burwash, to Which -■v Noted Author Moved Prom Rottlngdean. London. —Although every part of Sussex is within easy reach of London, there are still many out-of-the-way villages in it where yon may practically get as far from the Madding crowd as if you were in the middle of a desert. One of these is Burwash, where Rudyard Kipling secluded himself from the torment of sightseers who drove him from Rottlngdean. Rottlngdean is a quaint seaside village, so .close to Brighton that every visitor here makes a point of seeing it, and Kipling used to be looked upon as a valuable asset in the, attractions of the place. ' <<-“ :*- 7', Every omnibus laden with holiday trippers used to make a point of drawing up close to his garden wall, while the conductor declaimed in a loud voice to the passengers (all craning their necks in the effort to see as much as possible). "This louse, ladies and gentlemen, is the residence of the distinguished h’suthor, Mr. Rudyard Kipling.” There came a day when this oftrepeated lentenoe was followed by another —“And there, ladles and gentlemen, is the distinguished h’suthor M —U—f oa milk VI gm tn aaa fl ■ susi 188C1, a'laKIQ ICa wIiH CIS IfiUiliy Oil the lawn!’ This wa* the climax. Rudyard Kipling fled and secluded himself at Burwash, where there are no trippers and where the villager* are of the stolid kind prevalent in Sussex, who mind

their own business and keep themselves to themselves, having no more interest in distinguished writers than in undistinguished readers. At Burwash they still tell the story of how George IV., passing through the village on one of hts journeys to Brighton, was greatly Chagrined by the air of utter unconcern enveloping the place. He asked the reason and receive^ the explanation direct: “They had rung the bells for him when he came through the first time and he gave them no beer, so they were not going to ring for him again, not likely!”