78 AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND 



Here I beg permission to introduce a parenthesis on 

 a foreign subject to the one above, but which is a remi- 

 niscence of my individuality. 



A few persons of my acquaintance have made me 

 the remark that they like enough my digressions on any 

 subject I write upon, but am too imaginative, my al- 

 lusion and quotations are too cloudy, obscure, in short 

 to speak as I do too cryptogamic (hidden.) Maybe it 

 it is so, but I cannot very well refrain myself from 

 doing it. It is inherent to my way of expressing my 

 ideas. When I write I do so exactly as I feel, as I 

 think, just to suit my vague notions, always going ahead 

 and anxious to get at the end of what I have to say, 

 that often I leap over many words, and probably you 

 have noticed it. I know it but I cannot help it, yet I 

 try hard. Next another peculiarity I have, when talk- 

 ing of men, I always or almost take it for gran ted that 

 all men are men, more or less endowed with a certain 

 amount of intelligence. It seems to me that to think 

 differently would be a disguised insult. In my opinion 

 the best way to make a man is to let him under- 

 stand he is so ! And if he sees and is convinced he is 

 deficient, he will likely try to get what he is deprived 

 of ; if not you have lost your time .... but you have 

 not offended his pride. I know there are men gen- 

 erally styled smart ! (I use the word as I have heard 



