Other editions of book The Light That Failed

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Excerpt from The Light That Failed: 'Captains Courageous' a Story of the Grand BanksMany holidays had come and gone since that day, and Dick had grown into a lanky hobbledehoy more than ever conscious of his bad clothes. Not for a mo ment had Mrs. Jennett relaxed her tender care of him, but the average canings of a public school Dick fell under punishment about three times a' month - filled him with contempt for her powers. 'she doesn't hurt,' he explained to Maisie, who urged him to rebellion, 'and she is kinder to you after she has whacked me.' Dick shambled through the days unkept in body and savage in soul, as the smaller boys of the school learned to know, for when the spirit moved him he would hit them, cun ningly and with science. The same spirit made him more than once try to tease Maisie, but the girl refused to be made unhappy. 'we are both miserable as it is,' said she. 'what is the use of trying to make things worse? Let's find things to do, and forget things.'About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

“There won’t be any next holidays for me,” said Maisie. “I’m going away.” “Where to?” “I don’t know. My lawyers have written to Mrs. Jennett, and I’ve got to be educated some where, — in France, perhaps, — I don’t know where; but I shall be glad to go away.” "I shan't like it a bit. I suppose I shall be left. Look here, Maisie, is it really true you’re going? Then these holidays will be the last I shall see anything of you ; and I go back to school next week. I wish ” The young blood turned his cheeks scarlet. Maisie v/as picking grass-tufts and throwing them down the slope of a yellow sea-poppy nodding all by itself to the illimitable levels of the mud'flats and the milk-white sea beyond. "I wish,” she said, after a pause, “that I could see you again, sometime. You wish that, too?” “Yes, but it would have been better if — if — you had — shot straight over there — down by the breakwater.” Maisie looked with large eyes for a moment. And this was th^ boy who only ten days before had decorated Amomma’s horns with cut-paper ham-frills and turned him out, a bearded derision, among the public ways! Then she dropped her eyes; this was not the boy. “Don’t be stupid,” she said, reprovingly, and with swift instinct attacked the side-issue. “How selfish you are! Just think what I should have felt if that horrid thing had killed you! I’m quite miserable enough already.” “Why? Because you’re going away from Mrs. Jennett?” “No.” “From me, then?” No answer for a long time. Dick dared not look at her. He felt, though he did not know, all that the past four years had been to him. and this the more accurately since he had no knowledge to put his feelings in words. “I don’t know,” she said. ‘‘I suppose it is. ” “Maisie, you must know. I’m not supposing.” “Let’s go home,” said Maisie, weakly. But Dick was not minded to retreat. “I can’t say things,” he pleaded, “and I’m awfully sorry for teasing you about Amomma the other day. It’s all different now, Maisie, can’t you see? And you might have told me that you were going, instead of leaving me to find out.” “You didn’t. I did tell. Oh, Dick, what’s the use of worrying?” “There isn’t any; but we’ve been together years and years, and I didn’t know how much I cared.” “I don’t believe you ever did care.” “No, I didn’t; but I do, — I care awfully now. Maisie,” he gulped, — “Maisie, darling, say you care, too, please. ’ ’ “I do; indeed I do; but it won’t be any use.” “Why?” “Because I am going away.” “Yes, but if you proimse before you go. Only say — will you?” A second “darling” came to his lips more easily than the first. There were few endearments in Dick’s home or school life; he had to find them by instinct. Dick took the little hand blackened with the escaped gas of the revolver. “I promise,” she said solemnly; “but if I care there is no need of promising. ’ ' “And you do care?” For the first time in the past few minutes their eyes met and spoke for them who had no skill in speech. “Oh, Dick, don’t! please don’t! It was all right when we said good -morning; but now it’s all different!” Amomma looked on from afar. He had seen his property quarrel frequently, but he had never seen kisses exchanged before. The yellow sea-poppy was wiser, and nodded its head approvingly. Considered as a kiss, that was a failure, but since it was the first, other than those demanded by duty, in all the world that either had ever given or taken, it opened to them new worlds, and every one of them glorious, so that they were lifted above the consideration of any worlds at all, especially those in which tea is necessary and sat still, holding each other’s hands and saying not a word. “You can’t forget now, ” said Dick at last. There was that on his cheek that stung more than gunpowder. “I shouldn’t have forgotten anyhow,” said Maisie, and they looked at each other and saw that

The Light That Failed "Where he growing older had sought a little sympathy, she gave him ridicule. The many hours that she could spare from the ordering of her small house she devoted to what she called the home-training of Dick Heldar. Her religion, manufactured in the main by her own intelligence and a keen study of the Scriptures, was an aid to her in this matter. At such times as she herself was not personally displeased with Dick, she left him to understand that he had a heavy account to settle with his Creator; wherefore Dick learned to loathe his God as intensely as he loathed Mrs. Jennett; and this is not a wholesome frame of mind for the young." "The Light That Failed" has a beautiful glossy cover and a blank page for the dedication.

'WHAT do you think she'd do if she caught us? We oughtn't to have it, you know,' said Maisie. 'Beat me, and lock you up in your bedroom,' Dick answered, without hesitation. 'Have you got the cartridges?' 'Yes; they're in my pocket, but they are joggling horribly. Do pin-fire cartridges go off of their own accord?' 'Don't know. Take the revolver, if you are afraid, and let me carry them.' 'I'm not afraid.' Maisie strode forward swiftly, a hand in her pocket and her chin in the air. Dick followed with a small pin-fire revolver. The children had discovered that their lives would be unendurable without pistol-practice. After much forethought and self-denial, Dick had saved seven shillings and sixpence, the price of a badly constructed Belgian revolver. Maisie could only contribute half a crown to the syndicate for the purchase of a hundred cartridges. 'You can save better than I can, Dick,' she explained; 'I like nice things to eat, and it doesn't matter to you. Besides, boys ought to do these things.'

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Light That Failed is a novel by the Nobel Prize-winning English author Rudyard Kipling that was first published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine dated January 1891. Most of the novel is set in London, but many important events throughout the story occur in Sudan and Port Said. It follows the life of Dick Heldar, an artist and painter who goes blind, and his unrequited love for his childhood playmate, Maisie.It is Kipling's first novel, written when he was 26 years old, and is semi-autobiographical; being based upon his own unrequited love for Florence Garrard. Though it was poorly received by critics, the novel has managed to remain in print for over a century. It was also adapted into a play, two silent films as well as a drama film.The story begins with Dick and Maisie as orphan children in a seaside boarding house under the care of Mrs. Jennet (a sadist drawn from Kipling's own childhood experience with a Mrs Holloway). Dick confesses his infatuation with Maisie but she informs him that she will soon be leaving to complete her education.Years later, Dick is working as a painter and artist among the British armed forces in Sudan. He meets a war correspondent named Torpenhow who, witnessing his skill, arranges for Dick to be hired by the syndicate that he works for. The two men quickly strike a friendship and help each other in their respective trades. Dick is later injured by a sword-cut to the head and spends a night in delirium, moaning about Maisie. Once the campaign is over, Dick returns to London where he eventually reunites with Torpenhow. His war sketches have drawn attention in England and when his former employers try to withhold his submitted works, Dick bullies their representative into returning them. He shares a rented apartment with Torpenhow in London where the two spend their time working and discussing "Art" along with a few other friends. Dick runs into Maisie again who is also working as a painter and a student under Dick's former teacher, Kami. He asks her about their relationship and though she rebuffs his advances, she asks him to visit her every Sunday as she values his advice about her work. He relents, assuming that she would grow to love him as he loves her. He also meets Maisie's roommate, a red-haired girl who immediately despises him.While discussing her work, Dick enters into an argument with Maisie about her attempt to paint the "Melancolia" from the book, The City of Dreadful Night. Dick says that it is beyond her ability and challenges her that he can do it better. Maisie soon departs for Paris to work under Kami for some months and Dick sees her off at the harbour. He finally convinces her to give him a kiss, making the red-haired girl furious. When he returns to his room, he discovers that Torpenhow has brought in a pretty young prostitute named Bessie whom he found collapsed in the hall. Taken by her face, Dick convinces the girl to return to his studio so that he can paint her in return for payment. Eventually, Bessie tries to seduce Torpenhow though they are interrupted by Dick, who rebukes Torpenhow and sends him away. Bessie is furious at Dick but continues to model for him because of the money. Dick hits upon his notion for the "Melancolia" who he models on Bessie but discovers to his horror that he is going blind due to a past battle injury. He still manages to complete the painting a week after Torpenhow returns, relying on whiskey to help his failing vision. However, Bessie destroys the painting in revenge for his earlier interference. Torpenhow hides the fact from Dick, who is now completely blind, regretting that he ever helped the girl.

Rudyard Kipling was a prolific English writer who is widely considered to be one of the greatest authors in all of literature. Kipling wrote classics in many genres including the Jungle Books, Just So Stories, Kim, and The Man Who Would Be King. The Light That Failed, published in 1891, is Kipling's first novel. The story is set in London and India and centers around a painter who goes blind.