Fall puts me a Washington Irving frame of mind. This time of year, I find myself pulling down his The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. from the bookshelf. Irving wrote the collection of tales between 1819 and 1820. The volume includes "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which have become American classics. Both stories take place in the waning days of autumn, with its cornucopia of colors, cooling temperatures, and dreaminess of time passing. Rereading the stories is a kind of holiday for the heart.
Should physician-assisted suicide be legal in Massachusetts?
Some say the measure helps people seeking to avoid a painful death, others believe unintended consequences could easily arise when insurers are left to choose expensive, life-prolonging treatments or cheap, fatal drugs. What do you believe?
