Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Dec. 21 –It takes some unusual event to dig me out of my long spiritual sleep – Monday Mother K & Martin come in from Clyde, N.Y. Martin becomes ill with grippe & then erysipelas & I cannot be moved. It is necessary for me to come downtown to a hotel to sleep. ; It has been a revelation to me. I have lived two years in the city and only now, thu (sic) this event do I commence to “feel” its moods.; First night walking down under the new half moon – (olden days of walking under sinister moonlit nights of Feb. & March on littled (sic) use (sic) railroads) –; The first morning – getting on streetcar seeing for first time, the early morning workers on their way to their daily grind – life is real to them & I am soft – they have a hardened look, not better – but sort of grimly resigned – Next morning the rain –“ ” the tall building with black smoke pouring out from its top sinister & brooding –I hate the wallpaper factory – I long for more real human experiences – not personal but belonging to all humanity