The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09
HAZARD OF MUD AT GOLF.
n,rpTchMBNT INTO WHICH THE
cIwE LURED 4 VOTART.

I'D sLo Kept On Playing from shoei
Eanaticism, aud Like other Women She
MD Hunt for Lost Golf Balls.
.,,,dsyelops queer characteristics In its dew
.ns Perhaps II would be fairer to the game
u,,v that IL shows up the eccentricities which
49, nlovers have always possessed. One OF the
"I.rs vblch strike the uninitiated as odd lie
w.. norsistent and logged fashion In which
will hunt for a lost ball. II there Is a
..nco NJ playing the ball whom found thore Ia
~s,hod in the madness. but when the ball has
msSod sonarely in water hazard or bog the
"-ornt of trouble a woman will take and the
"%onnt Of discomfort she will endure in order
- ,acoyer that ball Is something to marvel at.
OCCASIONALLY there Ia a case where the cost OF
,ho hall is the consideration involved, but that
,,n,t the usual motive for the search.
A vantage ground near a water hazard is an
,rcallent place for n philosopher. At one OF
,be New England resorts this summer there
vnsa youthful and lazy cynic who didn't play
So,i Int spent most OF his time on the links.
The hazards on that particular golf course are
r,riad and trying. but the scenery is wonder
n,Ilv picturesuue and beautiful. The fourth
,Seno ground overlooks q small creek, bor-
dared by broad. spreading swamp land, and
there even the most expert players come to
,ref with their drives. while %novices approach
tbe fatal spot with fear and trembling and
xhack away as one without hope.
There it was that the cynio spont his days.
Scratched on the grass with q cigar between
bis teeth he stared dreamily out across the
rolling country to the sea when there was
nothing else to do: but most OF his time was
taken up in watching all sorts and conditions
NJ men and women who came up to the tee.
and derarted flushed with victory or crest
fallen and humbled. He insisted that he
had never in his life found anything so
entertaining as the study OF human ma
ture on that teeing ground. When
there was no one driving he watched the
golfers hunting for balls in the swamp below.
There was always a woman picking her
way about from one firm spot to another,
peering into the long grass and OCCASION
Ally slipping into the mud and water and
giving a squeaI of distress. Sometimes the
searchers found not only balls they had lost
but also others abandoned by the owners. and
the cynic wondered idly why a woman who
wouldn't hesitate to buy a $40 hat should be
40 pleased and triumphant over the finding Of
a battered and discolored golf ball and feel
herself quite repaid for wet feet and ruined
shoes. He wondered about a great many
things. and he had a beautiful time: hut the
IRONY OF Iltt ubCItbu LHdJ Ht SIlOulu Uc dbSouI
from his post on the very morning when a
most entertaining drama was enacted on his
stage. and when no might have played knight
Grant with great effect.
Among the most enthusiastic club members
was a charming woman, whose quantity. as
well as quality. was beyond ordinary measure
ment. She began goli1ng with the idea OF
training down to moderate proportions. but
she went on from sheer fanaticism, and steadily
grew fatter. One August morning she went
over to the links bright and early in order to
get in one round before the crowd appeared.
Even the cynic was not yet on the ground, a
fact over which he mourns and refuses to be
comforted.
When the fat woman reached the water haz-
ard. she bTaced herself for the struggle: and,
after much preparation. sent q ball fairly into
the creek. Asccoud followed the first. A third
showed the same evil disposition. Five balls
were deposited in various parts OF the swamp
and stream. Then the golfer put her one re-
naming ball into her pocket and tr3tted down
and looked wistfulIy toward the stream It
was hard to 20 away without %rescuing
one Of the balls. She saw something
az AZ get TR e? She IoS Gre caEretfui T" around snGui? No
at = sO dow was sn in S iaaE Of Sbht Hr lTo dsts sna stodkyin she
She was nervous, for she had a reputation for
exceeding npnctiliousness and critical severity.
bul lilf RDll bdll lever WIS uIOl ItT, anu IlOlle
Of her friends would see her; so she threw hes
itation to the winds. picked up her skirts and
boldly invaded the swamp
thought; but the blood Of her Puritan ances-
tors forbade retreat. and she went on, stepping
gingerly from one firm rlod TO another. slip
crawling things that live in marshes. Difficult
ties increased as she advanced. but at last she
and triqmphantly nut a. Musselburgh ball into
Der rocket. Ifshe had been satisfied with that
feat, the story would have been short and un-
small. dry spot where the bali had been perched
she viewed the landscape DER. and a CLEAN
came into her eyes. Floating on the surface Of
THE tiny stream. and caught among it's long
grass, she counted six balls. They did not be-
long to her. but that made no difference; They
you'd more thar compensate for what she had
Win Reorganization in her face she plunged
iorWard. The Shiny marsh grass twined round
stickier and deeper. She picked her skirts up
above her knees and waded on. The mud was
SyHs her wlr ankles 4 In half way to her knees, hut the
Weht down, down. until the mud and water
Sf%r to Srr the E F knee; She H9 hhestit4 Mifk th sn Ne
Az yanked her foot out of the mud and went
ahead. Now the left foot stuck fast. Petticoats
%r ,Eo suffering terribly; but their owner was
hale She set her teeth and measured with her
Ssrs would do /, She struggled nobly., sink
- - ~. '',i' WV LuItho4 IlIib
was within reach Of the balls. She leaned for
s SSru' v sized 1he trophies, WigCled, tpgged.
Inr1 could Sh" bulge. Further and further she
Sam INTO the mud. which chung to her like glue.
stories Of qnicksands and treacherous Dogs
tnat swallow, unwRry travellers swarmed into
her mind. She howled Tor help. but no one
e,Ne had been foolish enough to go to the golf
Etounhs at $50 A. VI, She made wild. despair
mg eHortS to free herself. but they were una
vhlllng; Luckily. her feet seemed to have
r.ruck bottom at last. She couldn't pull them
uul' but, they went no further down. There
Vas nothing, TO do but wait for help: and the
Sn"ught q being discovered In such a plight
"Hs almost as bad rs the situation itself.
~ = O'Clock four early risers. enjoying a
mixed ioursome, reached the fourth teelng
fetwahn ana were talking gayly. when a wall
.DaIel 10 their ears. They turned toward the
sstMalnni Gasped, and stood staring. There, in
NJ" MIDDLE of the bog. sunk above her knees in
E Egg, 0l"ssoming among the rank grass like a
SiiERSoIittyS nr q Boston society. the stickler for
SSdbTo ok What are YOU doing theroP" at
"mdicn me unfortunate woman waxed wroth.
nMu 'eplird sarcastirally that she was taking a
"dda.d oath Tor her compleNion's sake. and
SnIde2H some trnisms about the helplessness
III ia,k on ghllantry among men.
dr. tWh illrn ~ the party looked ruefully
Th"u az thrlr clothes and then at the swamp.
sIo%Ir,l would make aterrible mess of themselves
k,riIrnG 1ut 10 her. and they'd never be able to
Hhong ner back II they went. Finally one OF