Time was when this question could have been answered in a very few words. The reply would have been, "I am a Roman." But time has made a great change in this respect. The question can now be answered only by a long and complicated process. The answer must include a statement of the time and place of the present existence of the person in question; must state his age, and the names of his father and mother; must state the trade or profession which he follows, and the place where he carries on his trade; must state the place of his birth, and the time of his being born; and must finally state the names of the countries which he has been living in, and the time of his residence in each. This is a very convenient method of distinguishing one man from another
