CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 25 



were in Paris in 1876 the four of us used to go to one of the baths 

 in the Seine every forenoon, and after the first time, when Ramsay 

 was ready to dive, the bathman would pass round the word that the 

 Englishman was going to dive and everyone in the establishment, 

 including the washerwoman outside, would crowd in and take up 

 positions to watch him. He dived the whole length of the bath 

 and sometimes turned there under water and came back a part of 

 the length. He had absolute control of his nerves and hardly ever 

 showed excitement or embarrassment. He had great vitality and 

 also the advantage of being an excellent sleeper all through his life. 



With these physical qualities he had also great courage and 

 tenacity. He never seemed to be upset by anything. All the 

 little difficulties which usually turn men back never seemed to 

 make the slightest impression upon him. His enormous vitality 

 enabled him to take up strenuous work of any kind at any time 

 and he never seemed to tire. After a session at College he would 

 look run down, but after two days on holiday he would be as 

 strong as ever and as ready to undertake a full day's work. 



I always found him exceedingly kind-hearted and considerate. 

 I do not think anyone who needed friendliness or consideration 

 would ever have been passed by by him, and for my own part, 

 especially at the time when my eyesight failed me, he was kindness 

 itself." 



His college career cannot be said to have been brilliant 

 partly because he was younger than most of his fellow- 

 students, and partly that the subjects chosen for his 

 study were, for the most part, not those in which he was 

 chiefly interested. The one great desire of his mother's 

 heart was that he should go into the Church ; and though 

 she never pressed this upon him, it seems almost certain 

 that the subjects chosen for his first year's work were 

 selected with that aim in view. His great love of 



