Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

8. The sun had disappeared behind the wooded edge of a hill to the S.W. – I took a walk in that direction thru a swamp, and [n.d.] woods – The post-sunset chill invigorating, Back to the car, where I spent the rest of the evening, watching the stars come out.

     In the S.W. Venus shone brilliantly, at first seemingly alone, but as the light faded, seen to be set square in the midst of Sagittarius (sic).  Above the dry (n.d.) road which gleamed a pale blue gray ribbon in the dark from the fields, I could see faraway remote North Star, before the apparently larger stars of the dipper were visible.

     It was to the East and Northeast, however, that the most interest lay. To me, these two directions, at twilight are full of a deep mystery, or mystical significance that I cannot explain. In Ohio, it was at the middle part of Post's woods, looking across the Valley of the Little Beaver, that I felt it mostly strongly. Not until tonight have I had the true feeling of northeast, in my New York State existence, and now it has come with much more power and meaning than I ever felt in Ohio.

     It has always seemed to me, that the space to the N.E was much more infinite than the S.W. – or any other direction

     High in the E – SE – a another (sic) planet, (I never can remember which of Mars, Jupiter or Saturn it is) shine steadily, while in the Northeast, Capella, already risen, soon became visible – unable to leave the spot, I watched until Orion, most [i]