As it has been so often observed to me that my 

 name is an odd, queer name, that I think it necessary 

 to elucidate it, though it is as plain English as fluid, 

 as limpid as the light of the sun when it shines. It is 

 so much plain English that one cannot utter but very 

 few words without using half of it, and the tail of it 

 too. 



An anecdote about that transparent obscurity 

 (etymological): The first time I had the observation 

 made to me on that my name, it was by a cadet 

 from West Point Academy or Polytechnic School- 

 I told him it was all English! He said he could not 

 see any English in it. Then as I had to do with a 

 scholar and a young man of twenty at least, I tried 

 to explain the enigma grammatically : Cut or divide 

 the name in two parts and read it you will have the 

 word men plural of man, homo, vir ! sometimes ! 

 then and, et, a conjunction without which you can- 

 not connect y ur expressions, sentences, etc. 



He looked and stared at me, with his mouth half 

 opened, but never spoke a word. "Whether he under- 

 stood me or not I cannot tell. Yet the man appeared 

 to be an intelligent man probably with some restric- 

 tions as all appearances are apt to be, in linguistic, 

 honor, probity, morality, etc., etc. Subject to inter- 

 pretation .... 



