Darmstädter Hof
Heidelberg
29th July, 1869
My Dear Father,
Both your letters reached me together yesterday — sent on by Black. My sprain as I said before is quite better. It was never more than slight.[2]
You so often get uneasy on these points that I don’t think you understand my letter-writing principles. In writing to you I always tell everything even at the risk of making the letter all about myself. You always seem to be afraid that — in case of unwellness for example — I am keeping back what I think would vex you. But really I never do this. I only wish you would always take the same course with me.
If however this plan doesn’t succeed in making your mind easy I shall have to say nothing at all about such things as my recent sprained ankle as you of course won’t be able to vex yourself in that case.
I may add that I did not properly speaking start on a 50 miles walk with a sprained ankle, for I was on the Post Strasse[3] so that had I felt walking hurt me I had only to wait for the next mail-gig. Not till I was sure that I could walk safely did I turn into the mountains.
I came to Heidelberg on Monday and have already been received by Helmholtz and Kirchhoff who showed me their collections. I also had some intercourse with several Privat-docenten and Junior Professors to whom Nöther introduced me. Nöther is one of the young mathematical doctors in Göttingen. With him, Klein (editor of Plücker’s posthunous works) and another, Hierholzer,[4] I drank Bruderschaft[5] last week so of course Nöther gladly gave me an introduction to a friend Horstmann who again brought me into his circle of young professors. I have also met one or two men from Edinburgh especially Forbes who was next after me in the Shaw. So I have got on here very well — I suppose I shall return in the end of the week to Göttingen or at least early next week in time to receive Lindsay.
Gray is going to Stirling as Beith’s assistant. He never wished to be more than a few weeks in Candlish’s. Very sensible on his part I think!
As I must go off to Helmholtz’s lecture now I rather post this now than let it lie. I have given the earliest answer to your inquiries as your letter reached me only last night. I am quite well.
Your aff. Son,
Wm. R. Smith
[1] CUL ADD 7449 C119a TS
[2] By “quite”, Smith always means completely rather than moderately. This is one of several instances in his letters of exasperation at his parents’ intense solicitude regarding his health.
[3] A street or road where regular stagecoaches, Postkutschen, were running.
[4] Unidentified.
[5] A pledge of friendship, technically permitting use of the familiar Du instead of the formal Sie.