His act was rather that of a harmless lunatic than an enemy. We were not so new to the country as not to know that the solitary life of many a plains… - Ambrose Bierce

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His act was rather that of a harmless lunatic than an enemy. We were not so new to the country as not to know that the solitary life of many a plainsman had a tendency to develop eccentricities of conduct and character not always easily distinguishable from mental aberration. A man is like a tree: in a forest of his fellows he will grow as straight as his generic and individual nature permits; alone, in the open, he yields to the deforming stresses and tortions that environ him.

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About Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – date of death uncertain; probably late 1912 or early 1914) was an American satirist, critic, short story writer, editor and journalist. He is perhaps most famous for his serialized mock lexicon, The Devil's Dictionary, in which, over the years, he scathed American culture and accepted wisdom by pointing out alternate, more practical definitions for common words.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Birth Name: Ambrose Gwinnetter Bierice
Alternative Names: Dod Grile William Herman Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce
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Mayonnaise: One of the sauces which serve the French in place of a state religion.

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