More from the 1941-45 diary of an Episcopalian minister

The Rev. Edmund Randolph Laine, year unknown

   If I were to post a week's worth of entries each week from the 1941-45 diary of the Rev. Edmund Randolph Laine, that would take the better part of the next four years, so I'm going to space the entries out and probably take the better part of the next ten years, but I don't want to crowd out my other World War II stories.
   These transcriptions are daunting, so I hope you'll pardon the question marks where I was unable to make out Laine's handwriting. But they are also fun, considering the references and links available on the Internet. It's as if there were a history lesson on every page. Perhaps not, but in this post you'll find a link to a 2012 New York Magazine article quoting a 1941 book Laine was reading, and a link to the 2011 funeral of a prominent citizen.
  

December 15, 1941

Dec. 15: (Monday) Cold, snowing. Up 10:50, shower bath. Mrs. Kimberly phoned 10:40. Church Year Book in morning mail. Looked over it. 1 - to Pittsfield with C.M. [Carlyn Markham?] - haircut - back 3. Read "Times" & "Eagle." H(?) French in. 5 - special Trustees meeting at library - over 5:25. Saw D. Braman & E. on street - E. [Ed Forrest] bot [bought] a Christmas present in Braman's. Phoned Mrs. Davidson. 6 - News. Eve - wrote 7 letters & 1 acknowledgment. Mrs. Nettleton phoned. Mr. Stevens of Gr. Barr. phoned asking me to speak at Gr. Barr. Rotary (but I declined). Phoned Fr. Jones. 9 - Quincy Howe. To Post Office. Read in Hayes' "Generation of Materialism" 9:45 - Raymond Gram Swing. Had apple, junket & tangerine. 11 - News. Read in Hayes' book.

Reverend Laine and Ed Forrest

December 16, 1941

  Dec. 16: (Tuesday) Cold, sunny. Up 11:20, shaved. Radio News - noon - Letter from Peter Frelinghuysen about baptism of Peter III. Jack Swann(?) in to get character letter. Made it out in duplicate - E. [Ed Forrest] and Miss F. [Jessica "Aunt Jess" French] typed it. Ans. some responses. Wrote P. Frelinghuysen. Read "Times." Changed clothes. To Library and to call on Mrs. Hiss at Tracy (?) 4 - back 5:05. Read "Eagle." Ans. Mrs. Griswold's letter. 6 - News. Eve - made out cheque and date for E. to order Sun. School candy and ice cream at (?). Wrote book review. Wrote letter to Mrs. A.G. Andrews(?) 9 - Quincy Howe. Wrote ans. to Mr. Hofmayer. 9:20 - to P.O. Read in "The Germans." E. found book for me to send Bp. Soc.(?) 10 - R.G. Swing. (?) 11 - News.

December 17, 1941

Dec. 17: (Wednesday) Fairly cold, sunny. Up 11, shaved (Radio - noon - News). 2:15 - Mrs. Peter Frelinghuysen phoned from N.Y. asking me to come down & baptize Peter III to-morrow. Ans. some appeal responses. Read "Times." To Library - walked to Golf Grounds and back. E. got me timetable at Station. 5:35 - phoned Fr. Jones at St. Edmund's School. 6 - News. Eve - men began to trim church for Christmas. Wrote letter (Mrs. Rockwood) and made out baptismal certificate and wrote up press notices. 8:20 - to Post Office and in to church. Read in Muhlbach's "Goethe and Schiller." 9:35 - packed bag. 10 - Raymond Gram Swing. 10:35 - shower bath and to bed.

December 18, 1941

Dec. 18: (Thursday) Stockbridge and New York City. Fairly cold, sunny. Up 6:20, shaved. 7:20 - breakfast. Read "Times." 8:20 - left in car with C.M. for Hillsdale - arr. 9:15 train 1/2 hr. late. Reached N.Y. - 12:30 - taxi to Mrs. Frelinghuysen's ap't. 4 - 714 Park Ave. - Baptism of Peter Frelinghuysen III - then to lunch at the Rodney Procter's. Visit with the Procters. Left 4:07 from Grand Central - arr. Hillsdale 7:07. Had to wait till 7:30 for E. My own mistake - home 8:10. Had duck for dinner. (C.M. took Miss F. and sister to Pittsfield this a.m.) Went over mail. 10 - R.G. Swing. Wrote 5 letters. Tired.

December 19, 1941

Dec. 19: (Friday) Fairly cold, sunny. Miss F. woke me at 9:40. Shaved and dressed quickly. Breakfast 10:20. 11 - Meeting of Laurel Hill [Association] in Library (Jack White, Chief Air Warden, spoke) - home 12:15. Read "Times." 1:30 - to Lenox (Bank) - back 2. Had sandwiches. Mrs. Hiss phoned. 3:35 - "Guiding Light." 3:45 - "Vic and Sade." Wound clocks. Read "Eagle." Read of Germany retreat in Russia in "Times." 6 - News. Eve - to Parish House to get Sun. Sch. Record Book. 7:15 - News from Ankara, Turkey, Manila, Honolulu, London, Washington. Made up money for Sunday School, etc. Christmas presents. 9 - Quincy Howe. Read in "The Hero in America."

December 20, 1941

Dec. 20: (Saturday) Cold, sunny. Up 10:35. Ans. some appeal responses. Worked preparing Christmas cards to for mail. 2 - "Marriage of Figaro" from Met. Opera. E. to Pittsfield. Read "Eagle" and "? Church". Mrs. Geo. Fellows called. Read "Times." 6 - News. 6:15 - Eleanor Dusenbury in - gave her Christmas money for choir. 7:30 - Arthur Hale. E. to Air Raid duty at Am. Legion. (?)( 7:45 - H.V. Kaltenborn. Read in Wecter's "The Hero in America." Worked on sermon. Grown very cold. Shower bath. 11 - News.

December 21, 1941

Dec. 21:  (Advent 4) Very cold (zero), sunny. Up 7, shaved. 8 - Holy Com. (8) 9:15 - South Lee - choir again for 1st time - read Bp. Lawrence's Pastoral Letter - back 10:05. Into Sunday School - gave teachers money for Christmas presents. 11 - Stockbridge - "Haggai and the UnbuiltTemple" (20 min.). Had talk with Carlyn Markham - he gave up care of clock. Read in "Times." 2:30 - rode with E. to Monterey - home 3:35. Bitterly cold. Read in Korn's (?) "History" on Austrian Seven Weeks War (1866). Letter from C. de Gersdorff. 5 - Met. Opera Auditions. Read in "Times." 5:45 - Wm. L. Shirer. 6 - News (Hitler takes command of German armies). 7(?) - News. Eve - E. to lecture in Pittsfield. Miss F. home. Wrote 3 letters & some cards. 8:40 - to P.O. 9 - Ford Hour (Christmas music). 11 - News.

 

The Austrian Seven Weeks War

More Journal entries:

Dec. 8-15, 1941

Dec. 1-7, 1941 

Give some punch for the holidays!