Welshmen in our lot out here,
including some men from Llanelly. There are also a lot of
Scotsmen among the officers, fellows of broad speech and dry
humour to whom I am much drawn.

You haven't hit on a book on some musical subject for me, have
you? I would much like a work dealing with Wagner or Beethoven.
It is music that I miss more than anything in the intellectual
line. Shall we ever hear the "Ring" again, I wonder? Anyway, it
was one of the supreme experiences of my life to have heard it
conducted by Nikisch. I regard the "Ring" as one of the world's
artistic masterpieces. It is conceived on a scale of unparalleled
grandeur, and must be thought of as an organised whole.

I miss the "Proms" and the Sunday Concerts, too--both have done a
real national service in popularising the greatest music.

_February 28th, 1917._

In the language of Tommy, I am "in the pink" and getting on
first-rate. Am delighted to say I passed well in that
examination, being marked "very good indeed." I got more than 90
per cent. of marks. I never dared to hope for such success. It
would be absurd to deny that I am hugely bucked at the result,
but I had had a pretty strenuous training for the exam. I am
still engaged in learning, but now in a different department,
though of equal interest, and I am glad to say that no
examination is involved this time.

Last Sunday we had a real first-rate game of Rugger--not very
scientific as far as passing and outside play were concerned, but
a great struggle forward. My own side had a couple of splendid
Scottish forwards against it, and I had a great deal of defence
to do, falling on the ball, etc. The final was 6-3 against us,
but one glaring offside try was allowed to our
opponents--accidentally, of course, as the referee's view was
unfortunately obstructed at the time. It was a grand game to play
in, though I was not in the best of training--one's first game
for fourteen months is usually apt to be a bit of a strain, and I
hadn't played since I turned out for the O.A.'s at Dulwich in
December, 1915. It was simply great, worth living years for, to
touch a Rugger ball again.

_March 17th, 1917._

These days for me are crammed