Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Ohio, situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie. The dream opens with myself, and some of the children, on an early morning walk, along a sandy lane near a wooded hollow. In the cove damp interior of the woods could be seen luxiant [sic] orchids in bloom. As we stood admiring them a bluebird appeared fluttering hastily back and forth over our heads. I thought “If I could only get him to perch on my finger” and put up my hand, with forefinger extended. To my surprise, the blue-bird, after some hesitation, did indeed alight on my finger. I reached up my other hand, and closed it around him. After a momentary start of fear, he snuggled contentedly down between my hands. I was wondering what I could get to feed him, when the scene changed.; I was back at the resort – what follows is rather confused. For one thing, I thought I was walking in an office, and had a new assistant, whom I felt it my duty to entertain on our day off. I could not remember his name, and thru [sic] all the rest of my dream, I was in search of someone who could give his name to me, and where he lived. Standing on the beach; a wealthy young man with a fine dinner sent on, wishing to get to a point of land extending out into the water where his friends are, calmly walks across the little bay, instead of going around, too lazy and indulgent to go the longer way. To a man near me, I exclaimed that such wantonness was out of place at such a time when the country was at war.