34 SIR WILLIAM RAMSAY 



this fearful language the process is longer and more 

 difficult. But even Ramsay, after referring to genders 

 and cases, admits, after nearly a year in the country 

 (March 1872), that he is not making as much progress 

 as he would wish, and remarks that "it is fearfully 

 difficult for a foreigner to speak quite correctly, especially 

 on subjects he does not know much about." It will be 

 remembered that his mother was a strict Calvinist 

 and apparently she had been disturbed by hearing 

 that her son had been playing billiards. He therefore 

 tried to reassure her in a letter bearing no date, 

 but written probably in the middle of February 1872. 

 He writes : 



" You speak of our playing at billiards in your first sentence. 

 There is no harm in playing the game, in fact it is the most 

 beautiful game to be seen, and second the people who keep the 

 billiard rooms (there really are no billiard rooms but just belong 

 to a Wirthshaus) are most respectable people, and third the old 

 gentleman of the establishment is, so to speak, Professor of Bil- 

 liards (or Ballmeister) to the University. Fourthly, none but the 

 most respectable students go there. Fifthly, we never waste 

 time at it, but only take it as a relaxation when we want a little 

 exercise to supply the deficiency of baseball in summer. Sixthly, 

 we never bet, but he pays who loses. Seventhly, the pay is by 

 no means high ; and if those aren't reasons enough, I don't 

 despair of convincing you at home. It's all very well talking, 

 but what can a fellow do when he has not a piano to play (I 

 haven't played an hour since Jany. 3rd), no walks to take, no 

 game, no hooks to read, no fire in your room, and a morbid 

 dislike to sitting down in a Wirthshaus to drink beer and an 

 hour to wait ? Answer me that, my dear Mama, and see if you 

 wouldn't do the same yourself." 



