Many people must have asked themselves, why ping-pong in SO short a time has become so amazingly popular. The answer, I think, is easy, and will be found in the following facts: Firstly, all who have played must allow that it is an excellent game, excellent because it afi'ords amusement for hours together, and because there is no small amount of Skill required to play it at all well; this will account for much of its popularity. But there are other and, I think, weightier reasons. It has been called the poor man's billiards, not that it resembles that king of indoor games any further than that balls are used in the playing of both, but because it supplies its place in the houses of those whose rooms and means are too small to permit the adoption of billiards, since a very small outlay will purchase all accessories necessary for ping-pong; and if the proportions mentioned in a later chapter of this work be Observed as regards height of net, not only can an excellent game be had on a small table, but any one can learn to play it well and will find himself able to do SO on a larger table; play on a small table being excel lent practice for play on the club-size table.