Scot & Colleen

To Scotsmen, New Year's Eve is Hogmanay, a time for revelry and rejoicing.

As it has for generations, a great crowd of Scotsmen gathered atop London's Ludgate Hill last Hogmanay to sing under the smoky dome of St. Paul's. After midnight the revellers walked away. Recently the following appeared in the London Times' "agony column"; Will the bearded Scot who greeted the New Year by stamping on my foot on steps of St. Paul's cathedral while singing "Auld Lang Syne" kindly send 30 shillings to pay medical attendance and this advertisement? -- COLLEEN IN GREEN.

London was fascinated. All Scots with beards were suspects.* Sentimental club men tore open their Times for days, scenting a romance. Hopes were dashed last week with a second advertisement:

Bearded Scot: Thirty shillings received, prefer not renew acquaintance. Foot still hurts. The offer of XYZ who also answered my advertisement declined with thanks. -- COLLEEN IN GREEN.

*Best known bearded Scot: Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham, author of travel books, persistent kilt wearer, onetime M. P. (1886-92), ardent Scotch nationalist.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.