Bateman's

Kipling's Study

In Front of the House

We visited the tranquil home of the famous author and poet, Rudyard Kipling. “Recessional” is a poem by Rudyard Kipling that he wrote in 1897 for the Queens Diamond Jubilee.

During his concluding comments in the General Conference session that was after September 11, 2001, President Hinckley used this poem. He said:

            “Regardless of what may come, may faith, immovable and constant, shine above us as the polar star.

Now, today, we are faced with particular problems, serious and consuming and difficult and of great concern to us. Surely we have need for the Lord.

            When I went home for lunch, I turned on the television, looked at the news for a moment, and paraphrased in my mind the words of the Psalms: “Why do the nations so furiously rage together?” I’ve lived through all of the wars of the 20^th century. My eldest brother lies buried in the soil of France, a victim of the First World War. I have lived through the Second World War, and Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and lesser conflicts. We have been a very quarrelsome and difficult people in our conflicts one with another. We so need to turn to the Lord and look to Him. I think of the great words of Kipling:

Far-called, our naives melt away;

On dune and headland sinks the fire-

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday

Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,

Lest we forget—Lest we forget!

It is such a fitting poem for the issue President Hinckley was forced to address. After reading this conference talk I knew that Rudyard Kipling must have been an excellent author and poet if President Hinckley read and quoted his works.

When we arrived at Kipling’s so called “good and peaceable place”, the woman that greeted us said that it was a modest home of the time. As soon as I saw it I was surprised by its size and elegance. In my opinion it is not a modest home by any means, but maybe for the time in which he lived it was. Kipling’s wife was a very artistic woman and had a lot to do with the interior décor. It was decorated with crafts and heirlooms from all over the world. They had many things imported from abroad, supplying the home with only the finest. All the linens in the bedrooms and kitchen were hand –made. My favorite room was Kipling’s study. The walls were covered with shelves holding years of classical literature that may have inspired his works. I loved the library look his study had and would love something similar in my future home. The estate also had beautiful gardens surrounding the house and covering acres of land. Beautiful homes like this make me wish that I lived in these times.