Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

40.                   Mar. 7, 1942 – (Saturday)

  Take Cathie to Buffalo for orchestra practice at Hutchison High.

  Early morning hour in Buffalo – the market, - sun a dim glow in the misty sky. Buy trousers at A.M.A.

  Home – Letter from American Academy signed by Walter Damrosch, confirming the award. They want me to come down for the presentation May 8 –

  P.M. – Sunday Jobs in the studio – working on collapsible table drive Sally to Library –

  Night – walk to meat market – spring-like twilight.[i]

                 Mar 8, 1942 –

  A flicker of lemon-gold sunlight quivering on the last edges of trees – A tiny pool of melted snow trembling at the foot of a black tree root – crows cawing –

  P.M. The three Sides “boys” (The twins are past 40, David at least 30 – boys!) out for a visit. I went to the door as they parked in the drive. Almost simultaneously they seemed to emerge from the car, all three smoking huge cigars. I was startled at the sight of David who had grown fat, and more mature looking.

  They wanted me to come out and hear a phonographic arrangement Ed has built for his Victrola.

  At 6:00 – all of us to see “How Green Was My Valley” at the Seneca. I got as much of a thrill from it, as on my first viewing, and even enjoyed it better. Having seen it so soon after “Gone With the Wind” I could not help but compare the two. “How Green” etc is incomparably finer I think, for it presents a great human quality.  When we came out, it was raining.[ii]