Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, August 15, 1913

This morning my pleasant slumber was broken by Mother arousing Jim. After he had gotten up I dosed off again and it only seemed a few minutes later until I heard mother tell Louise who was upstairs making  up what beds were vacated, to call me. Tho I had heard Mother still I lay and let Louise come in and wake me. So I got up and, taking my bath towells from my trunk my B.V.D.’s from my chair and my tooth-paste I sleepily repaired to the bath­room. Hardly had I gotten in when Frances banged hurriedly on the door telling me to hurry up. First I proceeded to lay my burdens on the bureau, after which I spread a blanket on the floor near the bath tub, and then turned the cold water on. While the tub was filling I washed my face and teeth, not in one operation however.

When this task was completed, there was enough water in the tub, so, stripping, I stepped in. Oh the ecstacies of the cold-water bath!  It is like a draught of ice-cold water on a hot afternoon. Gettting up sleepy, cross and tired I come from a rub-down after a cold bath newly invigorated and with renewed good humor. It is a cure for all ills – especially those pertaining to the mind.

Leaving the bathroom I entered my room and dressed. This done I gathered up my knife, clip-clips, two fifty cent pieces, quarter and two pennies and put them in the right hand side pocket of my pants, and then put my watch in the pocket provided for it. All ready I descended the stairs. Mother was in the kitchen and as I greeted her I also kissed her.  Breakfast followed during the consuming of which I joked profusely with Joe,Frances and Louise. Breakfast done I found it was time to go to work. Before going I kissed Mother goodbye and took a look at the morning-glories. I always go in the following course – Down “Our” Side Alley to the Back Alley where I turn and go to Bolger’s Side Alley, which leads one to High St. down which I go to Vine Street, where I find an outlet to McKinley. This street I make my way until I come to Broadway down which I go to an alley that leads to Depot just above Mullins Office. At McKinley and Vine I met Philips with whom, as we went to work, I kept up an animated conversation about nothing. Arriving at the office I hung up my hat and coat and started at once to sorting time-cards which occupation I mingled with nonsensical chatter with Schweitz. By eleven-thirty the day was entered. Schweitz and I walked home together. Fred -met us at Penn Street - Fred works out in the press-room as a marker under Jim Andrews. As we came in the door Joe started a lively description about some­thing in make-believe German, in which Frances joined presently. Before sitting down to dinner I asked if there was any mail first looking all around to make sure. There being none I sat down and ate dinner, after which I sat down and read an article in the Delineator entitled “Getting used to women”which was a treatise on “The New Woman”. It was very interesting and doubtless contains a lot of truths concerning the change that is coming in the life of the woman of today. By the time I had finished this it was time to go to work so I went upstairs,washed and was soon started back again, taking with - a magazine to give Mr. W. G. Fawcett. At Vine and McKinley this time I met Albert Guy (a fellow who gives me the dry gripes) with whom I walked up Main St. indulging in a heated conversation about the weather. I fled from him at Fawcett’s Bargain Store. Mr. Fawcett had asked Joe to add a few items to a cartoon in the magazine and Joe being sick I took over the job. When it came to the point of setting, I at first refused anything for it didn’t really take five minutes to complete the work, but when he urged me to accept fifty cents I thought that if he insisted on being such a dunce, I could not refuse, so I pocketed the money. Wish I had charged him a dollar now.

While I was busy at work, Chief Cook called me by telephone. He was looking for a man by the name of Fonner. I could only think of Wonner but as the later age, etc. agreed with his description he sent Calladine down to the shop and with him came the man who was most interested in the affair. The man however seemed so certain the man’s name was Fonner that they called in Josh to see if he knew any more. A moment later I remembered of a Fonner being on the payroll last summer. I hunted up his dis­missal record and he proved to be the one. He quit last fall. I don’t know how the affair ended. I only mention it as something a little different from the usual routine of sameness of the work.

Coming home from work at night I found Joe, Frances,Louise and Ephie assembled on the porch and Fred joined us a moment later.

We sat here a short whilewaitingfor Mother to call us to supper. Baseball and the Movies occupied our attention chiefly. One and all we are all “for” the Naps so there can be no fights. Then too we hilariously discussed sleeping arrangements when some of the girls friends in Rochester come to visit us which will occur two weeks from Sunday. We had lots of fun over this, the bathtub,lavatory and roof all being discussed as possible place for some of us to sleep. Supper being announced we trailed in in companies. This was a lively meal as always,after which we fellows read the papers or magazines and the girls did the dishes. When both these arduous tasks were done we all went to the picture show, a thing which we enjoyed thoroughly. The pictures being exceptionaly good. On the way home we discussed them volubly. Arriving home we all went upstairs to go to bed. We cut up for awhile and then went to bed in earnest.

These last three days have been wonderful things - days of clear skies, and warm fresh air; robust healthy deep-chested days full of strength and exuberance. Today Nature freshness began to become markedly mellow, which had been gradually becoming so on the other two days. The sun was hot but not oppressive and its light seemed to shed a yellowness, even early in the after­noon. A blue smoke hung in the atmospheres, rendering all distance objects beautiful. At eventide, the mellow golden sun slowly sank into a bed of dense mists,becoming redder as it neared the horizon. The sky became all conceivable tints of rose lavender and pale blue.  An oriole’s song added to its beauty. Darkness steals down these days unnoticed and then the moon, in the full, shines forth from a misty sky. To-night I sat out on the back porch, gazing at the moon dreaming. Silly sounding and perhaps it was,but pleasant nevertheless.

Charles E. Burchfield,  Friday – Aug. 15, 1913