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During my illnesses as well as other periods when I was housebound by the weather, Mother read a great deal to me and she read strictly good stuff. In the earlier days, she'd read such books as "The Secret Garden," "The Wind in the Willows" and "Robinson Crusoe" and "Swiss Family Robinson." As I grew, she advanced me into Dickens, Thackeray, Stevenson. And also I took St.Nicholas and Boy's Life and American Boy at various periods and enjoyed reading these magazines myself; I can still capture a thrill as I remember opening a new issue of any of these magazines and discovering the contents. To this day, I can remember an article in St.Nicholas about mallet locomotives on the Bingham & Garfield, and the Mark Tidd stories in American Boy by Clarence Buddington Kelland. These magazines seemed to bring adventure to me. Mother was responsible for my stamp collecting and used to put some real money into it, getting approval sheets from Scott, Stamp & Coin and buying some pretty good stuff. I have one good example in the book today, a Canadian Jubilee One dollar stamp uncancelled and now quoted by Scott at $75; there are many others which must have appreciated greatly in value and for that reason, I'm anxious to get a fireproof file today to keep my stamps in.

I don't think my father had much in the way of recreation until he took up golf and he became very fond of the game. He joined the Onandaga Golf & Country Club and used to get out there once or twice a week. I'd go with him sometimes and act as his caddy when he'd go around alone; I think he was a bit self-conscious about the poorness of his game as he got started but as time went on, he began playing in twosomes mostly, with other men including some doctors. I believe he played some with Dr. Halsted, among others, and he had a frequent partner in a Mr. Hale who lived across the road from the golf club. But aside from golf, his relaxed moments appeared to me to be few and far between. I don't think my father was much of a drinker, feeling that liquor and surgery don't mix. However, I found some golf club chits among my father's papers some years ago that indicated he enjoyed a drink or so after a round of golf, the preferred drink being a gin ricky. I observed also that he sometimes crossed Washington Street when he left the office and entered a high class "cafe" named Nann & Kress, spent five or ten minutes in there, and then came out, got into the car and drove home. I have always assumed that he didn't go into Nann & Kress to get a glass of water. However, I don't ever recall having seen him take a drink. It is interesting, therefore, to examine a book of cartoons of prominent Syracusans and to find the one of my father shows him out on a golf course and in the background is a colored caddy who is saying, "Doctor can sure take care of golf balls and hye balls." This would indicate my father was a two-fisted drinker when out among the boys. Also, I've noted my mother's letters to my father sometimes advise him against too much drinking -- so I'm puzzled. I'm sure he didn't drink much.