June 10, 1938 (Friday)
     “For whatever is truly wondrous and fearful in man, never yet was put into words or books. And the drawing near of death, which alike levels all, alike impresses all with a last revelation, which only an author from the dead could adequately tell. So that - let us say it again - no dying Chaldee or Greek had higher and holier thoughts than those, whose mysterious shades you saw creeping over the face of poor Queequeg, as he quietly lay in his swinging hammock, and the rolling sea seemed gently rocking him to his final rest, and the ocean’s invisible floodtide lifted him higher and higher towards his destined heaven.” (Melville- Moby Dick)
     Worked Wednesday on the extreme right hand portion of the sky, without any pleasure, but at the end, with Bertha’s critical help, it seemed to be more or less solved. Played ball with keen enjoyment after supper.
Yesterday- a meandering day. Mounted Sally’s moths for her (as she was in bed with an asthmatic attack). B & I twice to Lehde’s nurseries to get chrysanthemums and cannas. I enjoyed to the fullest putting in these plants, especially the cannas, the bed for which I had prepared the night before. In the evening - put in some coxcomb which Grabenstatter had gotten for me. All day it was clear and fresh.
     Today, worked all day on the two Evan’s elevators- this with more pleasure, mainly I think because it was within a passage whose creative problems were already solved. (for creation