an illustration that there are accidents and accidents. Man's life is hemmed around with acci dents, episodes in which the hindsight seems so much more of an elaborate affair than the foresight. Events which one's own careless ness and thoughtlessness have helped to bring about, or frequently some one else's. Happenings that have proceeded from some unknown cause, as utterly impossible to fore know as that that beautiful curve from the pitcher's box was to be a foul tip off the bat, which was to describe an arc of a hundred yards and land on your proboscis. Or they have proceeded from known causes accom panied with unusual effects. You may have been the umpire of the home team and handed down a more than unusual unright eous decision, which you knew would make trouble with the accompaniment of bats and other things hurled at you, which you would not always be able to dodge. Accidents are usually the unexpected. One half of the definition of faith may aptly apply to that of accident — the evidence of things not seen. While faith may lend a meaning to accident, it is not to be inferred that there is to be any return of favors on the part of the latter word. Come to think of it, however, the accident of birth has a great deal to do with the character of one's faith. The age we live in is continually being re duced to an epigram. Here is another. This is the age of insurance. One can in sure his own life for the benefit of his wife, children or creditors, or he can insure the lives of his wife, children or creditors for his own benefit. He may insure himself an en dowment for his old age or a cash surrender value for the times when he may be hard up. He can insure his home and property against the elements, fire, water and air, against the accidental fire, the fire from lightning, and the fire of criminal origin, against the water do nated in the attempt to outen the fire and against the freaks of air in cyclones, torna
does and simoons. He can insure his own honesty or the honesty of his employees and servants. He may insure his title to lands against the flaws and technicalities which the legal world may pick in the same. He may insure his beasts of burden, his keys and packages, even those of his wife containing the new hat, etc. This idea of protecting one's self against the contingencies of life has seized upon the life of the people. Any new method to take money out of the pockets of the people for purposes of insurance that are laudable and those that are not, need only be suggested to have a company formed to develop it. It is not surprising then to find a large amount of insurance in force against accident to life and limb. It has come to be a fact with much insurance, that it is given a name which is supposed to cover a multitude of enticing virtues, but is an attempt to get as much of one's money for as little as can be given in return, which admonishes one to al ways look close to the terms of the policy, for there be invidious distinctions. Webster defines the word " accident " as an event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation, an event which proceeds from an unknown case, or is an unusual ef fect of a known cause, and therefore not expected. Or, as expressed by a court in elucidating this definition, an accident is an event happening without any human agency, or, if happening through human agency, an event which under the circumstances is un usual and not expected by the person to whom it happens. That is what an accident means to you and to me. Insurance companies however, in the de sire to insure themselves against paying the amount nominated in the bond paid for, in sert limitations to the definition, such as that the policy does not cover " intentional inju ries inflicted by the insured or any other person." The first part is proper, for inten tionally self-inflicted injuries are not to be encouraged, but " or any other person " gives
