Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, Vol. 36, February 20, 1925

“Vorfrüling” is here. A few days ago I saw it on my way home from work—the intoxicating chill in the air after a day of warm sun & streets of running water; now as the sun is setting fronds of ice forming on the still shallow pools of water; the sunward sides of buildings have a brave warm look — any object or person no matter how crude, at such a season becomes chock full of romance. Day by day it has grown until today spring-fever & memories overtake me – to close the eyes is all that is necessary to see whole scenes from the past impressions of “Vorfrüling.” I think of the warm day in March that “Bill” & “Waldo” & I took a hike along the Ellsworth road to the “Meander” or “Little Beaver” creek – the quiet warm hour at 1:00 o’clock sitting [46] on a bleached out grassy bank with the hot sun sending its stupefying rays over us, as spiders scampered in the grass; the babble of the stream increased the drowsy feeling. I think of days spent in rambling around dark pine-hollows, where the unmelted ice makes it chilly, and then in the middle of the afternoon, coming out into the sunlight world & stopping at some mud-splattered village to buy a few cakes or chocolate. How strange & far off this village seems, made magic by the slanting sunlight.  

[Vorfrühling means “Early Spring,” from the German words “vor” (before, ahead of, prior to, earlier than) and “der Frühling” (spring season)]

Charles E. Burchfield, February 20, 1925