Father’s excesses in minor matters also show the intemperance to which I refer. I mention them only to show that in certain things I am a “chip of the old block”: Many years ago he had the croquet craze. He and other business men would play that silly game for hours. I recall Mother’s disapproval and Father’s lame defence. She was not opposed to a reasonable amount of playing; it was the intemperate, inopportune indulgence that disturbed her. The same with chess and checkers. He and his chess-loving friends pursued these with a fervour prejudicial to business. Often when I have gone to the lawyer’s office where they were wont to play, or in the back of Father’s store, I would find him so absorbed that my timid request would remain long unnoticed. If some other player would call his attention to me, his preoccupation was such that I verily believe a moment later he did not know I had been there. He contended that he never neglected customers for the pastime, but Mother would tell him that his impatience to get back to his game made him attend grudgingly to them, and that feeling this they would go elsewhere. Of course he disavowed this, but it was true. I can see the same trait strong in myself. Given to riding my hobbies hard, everything else is relegated to the background. I attend to all else as expeditiously as possible that I may “return to my knitting,” whatever it happens to be, though I do try to conceal my lack of interest in the work at hand. Perhaps I flatter myself that I do, as Father flattered himself; doubtless onlookers see that “my heart’s in the Highlands chasing the deer.” For games I have cared but little, except tennis--that draws me as croquet used to draw my father. My hand itches for the racquet as his itched for the croquet mallet and the chess-men, though it is not the ultimate winning I care so much about as to make good plays, and have an exciting game--I get positively despondent when I make a succession of poor plays, while with a good audience, I can sometimes play a brilliant game. I can seldom remember the score after the game is over.