Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, June 11, 1936

A.M. Take [Bertha] to Hanson’s for treatment.

A.M. Record (Overture to Samson by Handel) in the mail. A grand powerful expression.

Noon – the distressing news from Gramaphone shop that the Sibelius records cannot now be imported, but will be re-pressed later by Victor Co.

A dark, sombre day; cooler, and a fine wind-driven misty rain at intervals. Feathery, ragged tops of young elms black green against the sky. Such days seem more intimate somehow.

Pursued by depressing moods all day. At times I wondered whether I would really get over my trouble. [Burchfield was struggling to overcome his atheism, feeling pressure to adopt a faith, writing in May: “Nor can I construct my own faith by my own will. However, I should be in a receptive state of mind; I should want to believe. That I can’t quite bring myself to do.”]

Evening, Robert Blair out with new things. An evening of stimulating interchange of thoughts. I liked his new things, and it was good for me to have a young man in the first flush of his love for art talk to me, which he did shyly, and with difficulty, betokening his sincerity.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, June 11, 1936