Background
As Rector of the University of St. Andrews Kipling had also to do his duty at University College, Dundee, a part of the University. He traveled to Dundee on 12 October and addressed a luncheon crowd in the gymnasium; the speech is collected in A Book of Words, 192S, as “The Classics and the Sciences.” When he left to return to St. Andrews he was attended by students to the station, to whom he then made the following remarks.
[T.P.]
Lively scenes were witnessed at Tay Bridge Station at five o’clock when Mr Kipling left for St Andrews [….] No sooner had the party taken their seats in the train than the fun began in real earnest [….]
“We—want—our—Rector!” Mr Kipling immediately came to the carriage window and with squibs screaming dangerously round about his ears commenced an address to what he humorously termed a gathering of “respectable old gentlemen and elderly ladies.”
“I have seldom met in my life so delightful constituents,” he said. “The more I look at them the more doubtful I am whether I was right in my last remark. (Laughter.) My sincere hope is that I might have the privilege of coming back next year in possession of greater freedom and less responsibility, when I will inform myself, with your help, of the manners and customs and other matters connected with Dundee College. Please accept my best thanks.” (Loud cheers…. the train departed to the accompaniment of loud cheers.)
—Dundee