Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-10-17
[Copyright, lsoI. by Edgar w. Nye.I

Wealth Insurance association i'll New York, and quite a number of extremely personal questions were asked by hand somely dressed physician, who only par tially concealed his scorn when he no- ticed that at the elbow of my red metii- cated flannels September twilight on the French Broad river had been worked with lemon colorcd Germantown wool.
 He asked if pimples had ever shown themselves on my grandfather side. I said no. which was true, although 1 was careful not to say that he had n ris- ing once at the baso of the clavicle. 1 considered that fair. as 1 was there to answer questions and not to volunteer information.
 Drawing me out still further, he chat ted on about hay fever, asthma, rose fever. roseola, dandelion fever, golden rod asthma, shurtnCss of breath during the having season and nausea in the harvest field, with feeling of rcvulsion at tho thought of work. passed, with some difficulty, on these questions.
 Did hernia ever break out in your family. and, if so, how far back
 This was the next question, and com ing, as it did, from n man whom I did not know from Adams off OK, aS the saying goes, flushed up to the roots of my hair and told him that my grandfa- ther while trying to move a barn had incurred hernia, but as to how far back it was l regarded that as nobody's busi- ness, and would shrink from saying so even to q well dressed man in New York city.
 I rcmcmtrr that ko smiled cold, hard, tutti fratti ice cream smile and asked me to remove the rest of my clothing as it would be necessary to percusS my chest.
 He also gave me d little ausc ulation l to sec if the swallows had been nesting ill my bruncho tubes, as I understood him. He asked me some more things about my parents. They would have en- joyed it if they had known what an in terest New York people took i'll them. Perhaps we will all take week off some time and drive in. We never thought that people in New York felt that way toward Us.
 Then the man betrayed some anxiety regarding insanity, calculus, suicide, | shingles, ringing in the ears, acidity of the stomach. thrush. St. Vitus' dance and other social features in our home | life. told him that there had not been any maniacs in our family lately, but cranks had married into the family from time to time i'll spite of all we could do. Are you habitual drunkard, or have you ever been such:'
 This question 1 answered in n guard ed way, yet truthfully. Onco l was in- vitcd to visit a ncighbor about II years ago to try some uOughnuts and cider made on tho place.
 now look back upon that evening with shame and sorrow.
 Little did dream then that would have to say anything about it in after ! years i'll order to get my life insured The cider was made of Siberian crab apples and placed in brandy cask which was not thoroughly renovated. | Some two or three quarts of the brandy had been allowed to remain in it, and then the weather turned i'll to be cold, freezing the cider solid, leaving in the center a dose of distilled spirits of pe- | culiarly restless and felonious nature I remember driving home in the crisp frosty moonlight, but did not unhar- ness the horses until the following day. | had no hostler at that time and used to do a great deal of stable work in or der to keep we'll and strong. My phy- sician advised me to do it. and so did my banker.
 1 In the morning the horses looked at me responsibility while trying to eat part of q partition that had been built between them. This was difficult, es- pecially with curb bits in their mouths. l The following day q special provi- dence brought on q mcrciful snowstorm, which wiped out the tracks made on that memorable night.
 It was the first time I had ever been
 habitual drunkard. and I was sorry for it. But I have never been in the habit of passing my time at gilded hell playing cards and gambling or drinking.
 Of course I havo been n great social favorite, and that has naturally bl ought temptation with it, and I have been re- peatedly an honored guest at the ban quet hall, where the victuals cost the