Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

June 12, 1926—

The trip on the lake in the Tionesta—
Out to Urban’s – my feeling of restraint – anxious to get away – Urban trying to make connections with the fellow was to arrange a locomotive ride for me – highballs – to Dan Weiss’s – sandwiches – the man who the bar-maid & the man who discoursed our prohibition– Urban asks me to go on ride—
When I find out it is a passenge (sic) boat I wish I hadn’t come – I hoped we had missed it – rush on board & it starts immediately – (I had thought it was just a new motor-boat)
On ship – I feel out of place – constrained – meeting Urban’s friends – I lose him & go outside to look at the Lake – I find it strangely small – long for the peace of Gardenville– then I long for Ohio & my family. Felt I ought to look for Urban – he takes me to meet his crowd – three sporty girls – cutting up & petting – I feel terribly out of place – don’t know what to say – they all start in search of dinner – I think “my god, if we all go into a little cabin, what will I say – where can I look,” They wander around, I seize my opportunity & lag behind and decide loneliness is better – The trip seems intolerable – the trip will last till midnight – well the dining hall is being fixed up – that will take sometime [indecipherable] eating the terrible jazz-band dancing, hung-a-peg-golf (sic) – I wander from one thing to another in agony – The lake is beautiful – the wake of the ship –the smoke clinging to the water – the raggedness of the horizon,
Part of the “crowd” excluding Urban find me – ask me along & not having him to refuse I tag along as they go into a cabin for more drink, I sneak away.