Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) Transcriber's Note The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. A GOLFING IDYLL [Illustration] A Golfing Idyll OR The Skipper's Round with the Deil On the Links of St Andrews Third Edition W.C. HENDERSON & SON, ST ANDREWS GEO. STEWART & CO., EDINBURGH AND LONDON SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, KENT & CO. LD., LONDON MDCCCXCVII. THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE BY A. ISLAY BANNERMAN (BANNERMAN & STEEL, EDINBURGH) PREFACE As some prefatory explanation may reasonably be expected as to how I became acquainted with the subject of the following narrative,--'A Golfing Idyll,' I have had the presumption to call it,--I may inform the reader that circumstances induced me, a lady medical student, at present studying in London, to take my Autumn holiday in St Andrews. I know the old place well, and have many acquaintances there. As to Golf I can, I think, hold my own with most of the Golfing sisterhood, and am well up in the jargon of the Links and game. One day found me, sketch-book in hand, sitting on the brae side by the butts, behind the Club. As I sat, listlessly toying with my pencil, and quietly enjoying the scene before me, I remarked a man, whom I had not previously observed, also sitting, a few yards off, on the slope towards the sea. On closer inspection I recognised him to be an old Caddie, well known to most frequenters of the Links, but not very creditably, I am sorry to say, as he was one of the sad victims of the vice that has cut off so many poor fellows of his class. I noticed at the same time that he now looked very decent and respectable, was neatly dressed in blue serge, a bit of blue ribbon apparent on the lapel of his coat, and that altogether he had the appearance of a person well cared for. He seemed to be engaged in an agreeable conversation with himself. As he sat, smiling and muttering, he was shortly joined by another man, a stranger to me, a ruddy-faced jolly-looking personage, with a free and easy manner, who proved also to be a Caddie. As to how the latter accosted his old friend, and what followed, is all described in the 'Idyll.'